Heathrow has sparked a wide interest in future skills and training at the airport during its Jobs and Careers Fair with over 5,400 attending the 11th annual event on Monday and Tuesday this week.
In what is one of the biggest Careers Fairs in the UK, visitors from Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne had the chance to meet 81 exhibitors including employers, and other training and education providers. Besides Heathrow itself, exhibitors taking part included global brands like Morgan Sindall, Ted Baker and Virgin Atlantic. As part of Heathrow’s commitment to youth social action, volunteering groups including Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) were also on hand to offer opportunities.
The Fair, which was free to attend, gave visitors the opportunity to find out about the careers available and the skills required today and with expansion. This included internships, apprenticeships, graduate schemes and entry-level roles in sectors such as aviation, hospitality and education.
Among some of the jobs in short supply are chefs and construction workers. With recent reports highlighting a near-critical shortage of skills in key roles such as construction, Heathrow recognises the need to provide greater access and training to attract more young people into the workforce. The Heathrow Jobs and Careers Fair is one of the many steps the airport is taking to ensure the future workforce is ready to take on critical infrastructure projects such as Heathrow expansion.
As one of the largest single-site employers in the country, with 76,500 people directly employed on the Heathrow site, the airport offers a wide range of jobs, training and career opportunities. One in five jobs in boroughs local to Heathrow are supported by the airport.
Up to 40,000 jobs in the local area are expected to be created with expansion and it will double the number of apprenticeships at Heathrow, to a total of 10,000. Together, these opportunities will have the potential to provide every unemployed young person within the five boroughs closest to the airport with an apprenticeship, training or a job.
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said:
“There is a huge amount of talent and potential within our surrounding community, evident at this year’s Jobs and Careers Fair.
“We are committed to helping our future local colleagues build a rewarding career at Heathrow, and nurture their talents. I want the airport’s future engineering, operations and leadership legacy to be made up of the young talent currently living alongside the airport. We have world-class training and apprenticeship opportunities and with investment in careers and colleagues, I urge our neighbors to take full advantage of benefits that come from Heathrow both now and with expansion.”
