Local focus on key issues
Manchester Airport has developed a clear community strategy focused on important community issues. Its role as a major transport hub for the north, a landlord and an employer means it has focused on key areas of deprivation - Wythenshawe District, located one mile away from the airport and one of the most deprived wards in the country. In particular, Manchester Airport focuses on employability across the Wythenshawe, which has the highest proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) and a workless rate of 14%. This presents a key business risk for Manchester Airport, which predicts it will need an additional 20,000 on-site employees over the next 15 years. The airport has sponsored Manchester Enterprise Academy, a local secondary school and developed the innovative Airport Academy, which trains people for jobs on the airport site, to help people develop the skills needed to enter the workplace.
The airport also recognises the impact its business operations have on the local community. The company has created a consultative committee of elected representatives, Airport businesses and community organisations to engage key local stakeholders to understand community concerns and enable input into future planning. This is supported by regular outreach activities in local communities and attendance at local parish council meetings to raise awareness and increase engagement with the local community.
Supporting young people
- Manchester Airport invests heavily in the future of young people close to its site. The range of programmes include:
The airport recognises that attendance is critical to good learning and is a key issue in local schools. This has a knock-on effect on the people that the airport employs from these schools. They have therefore worked with local headteachers in feeder primary schools and schools located the closest to the airport site to develop a scheme that rewards children based on their attendance throughout the school year. 5,000 children have been in the programme across 18 local schools. 9,482 certificates have been awarded, of which 370 children have achieved 100% attendance. Children involved in the programme have shown 1% improved attendance on average. - To introduce primary school children to the world of work, airport employees and partners visit one primary school each term to help young people to understand the variety of roles available at the airport. Delivered through interactive sessions in classes, the day broadens horizons and gives pupils the opportunity to talk to a variety of professionals about the range of careers options available. The sessions have produced positive outcomes for both the community and the business, with 80% of the children who took part agreeing that they would consider a job at the airport in the future. 70 employees were engaged to deliver these projects, helping to improve the company’s employee engagement score by 5% in 2011.
- The Futures Programme is offered to Year 10 and Year 11 students attending the Manchester Enterprise Academy (MEA) in Wythenshawe who are not engaging with the curriculum. Students are offered a one-day mentored placement per week, whilst support is provided to schools in improving behaviour. The programme has successfully supported two young people into apprenticeship placements coming out of the course.
For more information on Manchester Airport’s approach to community investment, please visit http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/Communitylinks
