Big Tick winner

Manchester Airport - Airport Academy

Employability Award 2007 sponsored by Accessible Retail

Manchester Airport is transporting local residents from unemployment to work through the Airport Academy, and boosting the local workforce to meet the Airport’s growing needs.

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Processes

Manchester Airport Group consists of four airports: Manchester, East Midlands, Humberside and Bournemouth. The 310 companies on-site employ over 19,000 people, with a further 25,000 jobs supported away from the Airport in aviation-related activities, such as leisure and tourism.

Forecast growth of the Airport is set to create thousands of jobs across all of the associated employers. The Airport Academy was set up to look at long-term employment and to meet the current and future needs of airport employers.

The Academy provides short-term training courses to people in long-term unemployment or in groups with specific employment needs. The initial employability course, covering interview techniques and basic vocational skills is a spring-board to sector-specific training in areas from baggage handling to catering. All training finishes with a guaranteed interview with an employer.

Impact

  • 31 employers have filled skills gaps in a sector with 14% skills gap.
  • Since 2005 150 unemployed local people have attended courses and 65 have started work.
  • The Airport Academy has delivered 3,750 training hours, enabling 125 people to gain level 1 qualifications in an area where 13,583 people have no formal qualifications.
  • The Airport’s reputation has improved with employees, partners and the local community through media coverage with an advertising value equivalent of £12,000 over three months.

See also

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