Published on : Wednesday, January 29, 2014
East Midlands Airport’s dedicated employment and education facility for adults has seen over 110 potential recruits pass through its doors and placed over half in employment in just eight months of it being open.
The bespoke facility was officially opened at a ribbon cutting ceremony with Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, in June by East Midlands Airport, who partnered with Stephenson College and Job Centre Plus to help unemployed people in the East Midlands region develop their workplace skills and give them the opportunity to apply for the vacancies on site at the airport.
In the short time the academy has been open; it has gone from strength to strength, with 113 people attending courses and 59 of these securing employment on the airport site. A recent candidate to be placed in employment was Natalie Rene, who was unemployed for 7 months and was looking for a permanent job. Natalie attended the Airport Academy course and is now waiting to begin a role with DHL, as a Customs Agent.
Natalie commented: “Attending the airport academy was a fantastic experience for me. I learned a great deal, while I was on the course, but I think I am even more impressed with the contact that remains in place to offer you opportunities that become available. As a result of this, I was offered a two week work experience placement, which I really enjoyed. This placement allowed me to be in a work environment again and gave me the confidence I needed to apply for a vacant position with DHL. I have now been offered a job at DHL and I am looking forward to starting. All in all the Airport Academy was a hit for me and I would urge anyone who is out of work to give it a go.”
Commenting on the success of the Academy, Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, said: “I had great pleasure in opening the East Midlands Airport Academy last year and it is fantastic news for the region that it is proving to be such a success in supporting people into employment. Having a dedicated facility that provides people with training in order to improve their skill set and confidence should be commended and I am very pleased that it is helping to reduce unemployment. I can only see this going from strength to strength in the future.”
The Academy’s week long course offers two level 1 City and Guild qualifications in Customer Service and Personal Development, alongside some coaching on interview techniques and employability skills. At the end of the course, all candidates are offered the chance to apply for any of the vacancies that are currently available. So far, positions have been filled at many of the large employers on site; including Radisson Blu, Holiday Inn Express, Europcar and in the customer service department for East Midlands Airport.
Kate Hall, Airport Academy Manager said: “There are over 100 businesses based on site at the airport and they all have seasonal vacancies throughout the year. It made sense for us to provide a coordinated place for these businesses to advertise their vacancies and for us to use our education experience to offer help to the people in our region.
“We want to be able to offer everyone a place to come to brush up on their skills and also find work. In particular, we are keen to help people who have been out of work for a while.”
Looking ahead over the next few months, the Airport Academy is planning a number of tailored courses to recruit for the busy summer season, where over 100 positions will be available across a variety of roles.
Kate continued: “It’s important for us to get the recruitment process underway now, so that we are ready when it comes to the summer season. At the airport the jobs available will always peak in the summer months and we have decided to tailor the course available through the academy to ensure that the candidates get the most out of the week.”
Source:- Eastmidlands Airport
Tags: Airline News
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