JET lifts off with new UK CAA partnership

Image courtesy CAA

Youth charity the Jon Egging Trust (JET) is delighted to announce a partnership with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which will allow an additional 4,000 vulnerable students to benefit from the charity’s science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) inspired confidence-building programmes over the next year.

In addition, the CAA has pledged to open up access to their network of inspiring STEM ambassadors, and help JET students navigate towards future employment opportunities through a careers workshop this December.

Hampshire schools will be some of the first to benefit from the partnership, being located in JET’s closest region of operation to the CAA’s headquarters at Gatwick Airport. JET has been supporting students in Hampshire since 2018 including in the towns of Odiham, Ringwood, Romsey and Gosport.

JET CEO, Dr Emma Egging, says the partnership offers an important boost for the charity at a time when it is seeing heightened demand for its programmes across the UK.

“In the wake of the pandemic and as we deal with the impact of the current cost of living crisis, the lives of many of the vulnerable young people we support have only become more challenging,” said Emma. “We have a waiting list of schools wanting us to support for their students, but we can only meet this demand with increased funding; this is why CAA’s support is so vital. In addition, our programmes rely on us working with inspiring corporate and military partners who open up their workplaces and workforce to our students. This is often when the magic happens as our young people experience first-hand how they might fit into a workplace after school and start to transition from a position of educational disengagement to one of aspiration, hope and self-belief. We’re hugely grateful to the CAA therefore, not just for their fantastic funding, but also for allowing access to our students to their brilliant STEM team and careers advisors.”

Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive Officer of the Civil Aviation Authority said: "As part of our STEM programme we aim to support efforts to inspire and engage with young people and to help them to explore careers in STEM, aviation and aerospace. Our working relationship with JET helps us to do just that and we are proud to be able to support their fantastic work.

 "Aviation and aerospace needs to be ready for the future and we need different talent, ideas and values to make that happen. We are committed to supporting the ambitions and interests of everyone to create opportunities which are inclusive and engaging for all."

Founded in 2011 by Dr Emma Egging following the tragic death of her husband, Red Arrows pilot Flt Lt Jon Egging, the Jon Egging Trust (JET) supports vulnerable young people to get back on track and realise their potential. Over the past decade, JET has supported more than 32,000 young lives through its unique motivational, inspirational and confidence-building Blue Skies programmes which are delivered in partnership with schools and youth organisations across the UK.