New aviation minister Baroness Sugg today visited a newly-extended terminal at Luton airport which is due to open later this year.
She was given an overview of a £150 million redevelopment of the airport and met some of the apprentices who are involved.
Her airport visit took place at the end of a week in which the government, working alongside industry, launched the Year of Engineering, a campaign which aims to increase the number of young people pursuing a career in engineering.
The minister met one of the trainees from the civil engineering company behind the work. Following the completion of a two-year apprenticeship, the former apprentice joiner has a permanent role as a trainee site manager overseeing the transformation of the terminal building.
The Year of Engineering campaign seeks to increase diversity, challenge misconceptions and attract more women and girls into the industry.
Baroness Sugg also visited the airport control tower for a bird’s eye view of the redevelopment and met a graduate of easyJet’s engineering apprenticeship programme.
Having completed 26 months of classroom and on the job training, the qualified engineer works in the airline’s operations control centre as part of a team managing aircraft technical issues for more than 280 aircraft.
Baroness Sugg said: “It is clear to see that the investment being put in to Luton airport goes far beyond passengers, creating jobs, developing skills and boosting the local economy.
“The work being done by the airport to upgrade the terminal and passenger facilities has created a wealth of opportunities for young people with apprenticeships and trainee schemes in a variety of areas.
“This major investment not only shows how our aviation industry continues to go from strength to strength but also underlines the importance of talented young people in this British success story.”