Last week, 42 students from schools across Hertfordshire and North London took to the skies at London Elstree Aerodrome after completing Soaring to Success®, a programme that breaks down barriers for state school students to pursue a career in the aviation and aerospace sectors.
Students took part in workshops to help develop team-building and communication skills, a tour of the airfield and talks with STEM Ambassadors from all areas of aviation and aerospace, before experiencing a flying lesson in powered aircraft.
The Air Experience Days mark the culmination of the Soaring to Success® careers enrichment course for pupils aged 13-17 at state-funded schools that bridges the gap between education and industry. We aim to inspire, enable, and support the next generation to consider a career within aviation and aerospace.
We were delighted to be joined by representatives from the programme’s key sponsors from industry-leading organisations and companies including Boeing, the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Careers and Enterprise Company.
Cohorts of students from Edmonton Academy in North London, Hertswood Academy in Borehamwood and Birchwood High School in Bishop’s Stortford held their Air Experience Days last week, whilst earlier in the summer we were joined by students from schools in Yorkshire and the West Midlands. This brings the total number of young people who participated in the Soaring to Success 2023 programme to over 150.
Designed for students in state-funded education, Soaring to Success complements existing career provisions by working alongside schools to provide accessible, in-depth information and knowledge that showcases the vast range of incredible roles and opportunities available.
Delivered across the academic year with support from industry, the staged programme includes career conferences and e-learning modules that provide an overview and insight into the career pathways available. The programme concludes with further enhanced career and skill workshops, combined with air experience days.
