Aerospace

Boost for aspiring young aviators

Posted 1 February 2023

Today the UK Government reveals the winners of its Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund, which will help to get young people from all backgrounds into aviation.

Image courtesy DfT

Eleven non-profit organisations have been selected, with £700,000 going to fund outreach programmes and events to show the next generation what opportunities the aviation sector can offer.

For those who have previously struggled to get a foothold in this exciting industry, the aim of the fund is to break down barriers – targeting those schemes which provide an entry point for people who are from underprivileged backgrounds or under-represented groups.

It forms part of the new Generation Aviation campaign which recognises that, for the sector to successfully adapt to the challenges of tomorrow, it needs a robust, open, and diverse workforce – with a reliable pool of talent from the full range of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and other critical roles.

The Transport Secretary announced the winners today at the very first Aviation Council – one of the first commitments in the Government’s 10-year strategy for the sector, Flightpath to the Future.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Innovation propels aviation and for it to face up to tomorrow’s challenges it needs an open and diverse workforce that can bring fresh ideas and ways of working.

“Our Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund recipients will be key to that, inspiring the next generation into the sector and helping to build an aviation workforce fit for the future.

“I was pleased to chair the first ever Aviation Council today and continue our healthy collaboration with industry, supporting it in every way we can, so it can continue to push boundaries.”

Among the eleven winning organisations are:

Resilient Pilot – a non-profit organisation which will receive £100,000 to develop a special mentoring and coaching programme for young students aged 11-18, inspiring the next generation to explore exciting and rewarding careers in the UK’s aviation sector.
The Air League – a charity which will receive £50,000 to support their Soaring to Success programme, looking to improve social mobility and helping support 35,000 spaces on their programme and up to 1,100 flying and engineering taster days and workshops targeted at young people from lower socio-economic groups.
Aerobility – a charity which will also receive over £100,000 to fund its Equal Skies Charter, aimed at increasing accessibility in the sector. They will use the funding to work with partners across the industry to raise the level of understanding of what disability is and what accessibility means to their organisation.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the air transport and aerospace sectors contributed at least £22 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) each year and provided at least 230,000 jobs across all regions of the country directly. However, there are several challenges ahead, from decarbonisation to changing travelling patterns following the pandemic.

Tackling these challenges is the aim of Generation Aviation, which forms part of the government’s 22-point plan to support aviation as it recovers from the pandemic. Also included in the campaign is the Government’s Aviation Skills Recruitment Platform (ASRP) – which signposts careers and opportunities to people looking to enter or move up in the industry – among other schemes.

Organisations meeting the criteria for the Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund were able to apply for a share of £700,000, with funding decisions agreed by a joint panel of the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) – which manages the fund on DfT’s behalf.

Soaring to Success
The Air League’s Soaring to Success programme, which will receive a £50,000 grant, is designed for students in state-funded education and compliments existing career provisions by providing accessible, in-depth information and knowledge that showcases the vast range of incredible roles and opportunities available within aviation and aerospace.

Delivered across the academic year with support from industry, the programme comprises of three stages that provide an overview and insight into the career pathways available. The government grant will help to support up to 35,000 spaces on the programme throughout 2023. Crucially, this will include 1,100 in-person flying and engineering tasting days, as well as employability workshops for pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

The DfT joins several other funding partners, including Boeing, who have donated £34,000 to cover two regional projects in the West Midlands and South Yorkshire. British Airways have donated funds, that will cover a pilot project in the Greater London area around London City Airport and the William Gibbs Trust have also committed to supporting the scheme throughout the year in the East of England region.

The programme will be split into three distinct stages, starting with national careers conferences open to anyone aged 13-17 in the UK, that allow individuals to gain an insight into the distinct career opportunities. Participants in eligible areas are then directed onto stage two, an e-learning enrichment course that comprises of industry led and academically designed modules. In stage three individuals can progress onto further enhanced in-person career, skill and employment workshops combined with air experience and engineering taster days. In partnership with TalentView Aviation, participants are then directed onto further opportunities to continue their career within the aviation, aerospace and space industries.

Ian Morrison, CEO of the Air League, said: “I’m extremely pleased that the Department for Transport and key industry players have recognised the potential and opportunity which Air League’s Soaring to Success programme can offer young people.

“By financially backing the scheme the Government is not just providing vital funding for thousands of young people. They are also recognising the importance of Air League’s mission to tear down the institutional barriers within our industry, and to encourage more young people – especially those from low socio-economic backgrounds – down the paths of aerospace, aviation and space.”

Maria Laine, President UK & Ireland and Nordic regions at Boeing, added: “Boeing is proud to have supported a wide range of Air League initiatives over the last ten years. Providing entry level aviation opportunities to young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, via the excellent Soaring to Success programme, can open up career paths and unexpected opportunities which we are delighted to encourage.”

Carrie Harris, Director of Sustainability at British Airways, said: “We believe that the aviation industry should be a career path open to everybody, so we are proud to support a charity that strives to inspire the next generation of aviation professionals from all backgrounds. We have supported the Air League for more than ten years and continue to do so through our BA Better World Community Fund, so we are thrilled to hear that it will have even more backing in 2023.”