The Air League, in collaboration with the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, hosted an inspiring Young Aviators Networking Night on 6 November at the University of West London, creating a unique opportunity for young people to connect with leading aviation and aerospace employers, and for the industry to listen to them in return.
Sponsored by Pooleys Flight Equipment, SaxonAir, and Bombardier, the event brought together 15 organisations from across the aviation and aerospace sectors. These included employers, training providers, and professional associations who were there to meet aspiring aviators, engineers, and industry professionals, not simply to give advice, but to hear their experiences and insights first-hand.
Unlike a traditional careers fair, this event was designed as a two-way forum for 360° feedback. The focus was on breaking down barriers, sharing ideas, and understanding the real challenges young people face when trying to take their first steps into aviation and aerospace careers.
The evening featured three inspiring guest speakers:
- Will Wright, British Airways Pilot and member of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots,
- Callum Fairhead, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer at Bombardier and Apprentice of the Year, and
- Mike Irving, Technical Training Manager at 2Excel Aviation.
Each shared their career journey and reflections on the importance of mentoring, resilience, and creating inclusive opportunities for the next generation.
“The sector is facing a major skills and labour shortage, but it’s not because young people aren’t interested. In fact, programmes like apprenticeships, cadet schemes, and internships are massively oversubscribed. The real challenge is access, making sure young people can gain the skills, experience, and information they need to succeed.”
Through structured discussion sessions, attendees shared their honest perspectives on the obstacles they face. Their feedback highlighted recurring themes such as:
- Lack of accessible and accurate information about medical requirements, pathways, and industry roles.
- Limited opportunities for practical experience and meaningful feedback during recruitment processes.
- Financial barriers and the absence of funded routes, particularly for pilot training.
- A need for greater diversity and regional outreach to ensure opportunities reach all communities.
- More collaboration between industry and education, ensuring students leave school with the right skills and awareness of all career paths, not just pilots and engineers.
- Many attendees also emphasised that while enthusiasm and passion for aviation are high, the pathway to entering the industry often feels unclear and closed off without family connections or insider knowledge.
The young aviators’ recommendations included introducing medical guidance sessions, practical skills workshops, mentoring programmes, and a central online hub for aviation opportunities and resources. They also encouraged more regional outreach, teacher resources, and school talks from industry professionals to help inspire the next generation earlier.
“There’s no better group to advise on how to bridge the education-to-employment gap than the young people themselves. They’re telling us exactly what they need, and it’s up to us, as an industry, to listen and act.”
The Young Aviators Networking Night demonstrated the power of collaboration between charities, education providers, and employers in shaping a more inclusive and accessible future for aviation.
