The Air League is a charitable organization that improves people’s lives through aviation, aerospace, and space. The Air League announced earlier today that its most important career-enrichment program will get a large grant from the Department of Transport and help from Boeing and British Airways.
The Soaring to Success® Program of the Air League will be awarded a grant in the amount of £50,000 as part of the newly established Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund by the Department of Transport, which was announced today. The program is geared toward students who are receiving their education through state-funded institutions, and it is intended to supplement the career opportunities that are already available by making accessible, in-depth information and knowledge that highlight the wide variety of incredible roles and opportunities that are available within the aviation and aerospace industries.
The program is delivered during the course of the academic year with cooperation from aerospace industry, and it consists of three phases that give an overview as well as an insight into the many career options that are accessible. With the assistance of the government’s funding, up to 35,000 participants will be able to participate in the program over the course of 2023. Importantly, this will include 1,100 in-person flying and engineering sampling days, in addition to employability seminars for students who come from families with lower socioeconomic status.
The Department of Defense is one of many additional financial partners, along with Boeing, that have contributed 34,000 pounds to pay the costs of two regional projects located in South Yorkshire and the West Midlands. The William Gibbs Trust has also committed to supporting the scheme throughout the year in the East of England region. The funds that were donated by British Airways will be used to cover the cost of a pilot project that will be carried out in the Greater London area and in the vicinity of London City Airport.
The program will be broken up into three distinct stages, the first of which will be a series of national career conferences that will be open to anyone in the United Kingdom aged 13 to 17, and which will provide attendees with the opportunity to gain an understanding of the various career opportunities. After that, participants in qualified locations are guided onto stage two, which is an online learning enrichment course that includes courses prepared both academically and by industry professionals.
At the third and final level, participants have the opportunity to advance to more advanced in-person courses on their careers, skills, and job prospects, along with air experience and engineering taster days. Through a partnership with TalentView Aviation, participants are then shown other ways to advance their careers in the aviation, aerospace, or space industries.
To celebrate the news, Air League CEO Ian Morrison stated, “I’m incredibly thrilled that the Department of Transport and major industry partners have recognized the promise and opportunity that Air League’s Soaring to Success initiative can give young people.”
“The government’s support of the program is not merely a lifeline for thousands of young people. The Air League’s efforts to break down industry obstacles and inspire more young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue careers in aerospace, aviation, and space are gaining recognition.
