London Luton Airport continues partnership with Skills Builder to deliver essential skills to young people in Luton

Representatives from teams across LLA including the airport’s Airside Operations, Technical Services, IT, HR, Sustainability, Guest Experience and Health, Safety and Wellbeing teams, have collaborated on the initiative designed to highlight the diversity of careers at LLA.

The resources, available to download from the LLA website, are designed to facilitate workshops for Key Stage 3 students aged between 11-14 years to grow understanding of key transferrable skills through practical exercises.

This year, the ‘Essential Skills Insight’ workshops will be delivered in LLA’s newly opened Excellence Academy, providing local students with the chance to step away from the classroom and experience a real office environment, with an opportunity to meet and interact with LLA employees.

Launched to coincide with National Careers Week (3-8 March 2025), the initiative forms part of LLA’s wider skills, education and outreach programmes which aim to provide skills development opportunities and learning interventions throughout students’ school journeys, presenting them with meaningful encounters with LLA and equipping young people with essential skills and insights, setting them up for success in the workplace.

Nik Jones, HR Director at London Luton Airport, commented: “Research from the Education and Employers Taskforce highlights that when a young person has four or more meaningful encounters with an employer, they are 86% less likely to experience unemployment and can earn up to 22% more during their career. As a major local employer for the region, London Luton Airport sees initiatives such as this as a key opportunity to promote the airport’s commitment to investing in local skills development and education, as well as highlighting the breadth of exciting operational, technical and office-based career opportunities that we are able to offer.”

Sophie Holmes, Lead Associate for Employer Programmes at Skills Builder Partnership, added: "Skills Builder Partnership is thrilled to collaborate with London Luton Airport to develop this suite of Essential Skills Workshops for Key Stage 3 students in Luton. These workshops are a fantastic opportunity for local young people to learn more about working at the airport, and the essential skills required by staff to be successful in their role. Skills Builder is excited to continue working in partnership with LLA this year, building on the success of these workshops and supporting the airport's Social Mobility and Sustainability goals."

In 2024, the airport joined forces with The Forest of Marston Vale Trust, to launch a hugely successful environmental education programme aimed at local primary school children, providing children with an opportunity to visit the community forest and enjoy first-hand opportunities to develop their understanding of nature and biodiversity.

This partnership with The Forest of Marston Vale Trust, combined with the Essential Skills in Aviation workshops and LLA’s broader programme of skills, education and outreach programmes, align to Luton’s 2040 vision and aims to reach 2,000 students annually, providing a variety of interventions throughout a student’s school journey, equipping them with skills, opportunities and career insights to help them thrive in the workplace.