Jet2 boss urges government to recognise importance of career investment

Jet2 boss Steve Heapy has highlighted to government the importance of investing in careers, skills and policies to support the industry while unveiling two new aviation apprenticeships.

 

Speaking at a Jet2 parliamentary reception attended by the aviation minister, MPs and stakeholders from across the sector, the Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive insisted attracting and developing the next generation of talent was critical and would help develop future leaders, while also stressing it was vital to keep holidays affordable.

 

Earlier in the day, a group of Jet2 apprentices and Jet2FlightPath trainees attended 10 Downing Street with Heapy to highlight the need to back apprenticeships and training to advance the careers of people who might not otherwise have similar opportunities. 

 

Heapy used the day to announce Jet2 would be offering an aviation customer service operatives apprenticeship and a mechatronics maintenance technicians apprenticeship. Both will be run inhouse alongside almost 50 other apprenticeships run by Jet2, spanning areas including IT, operations and engineering.

 

The new aviation customer service operatives apprenticeship is a nine-month programme, creating at least 40 opportunties across the company’s bases and supporting seasonal colleagues to build long‑term careers. Jet2 is the first company to deliver this shorter apprenticeship following recent reforms.

 

The four-year mechatronics maintenance technicians apprenticeship will train the next generation of engineers to maintain flight simulators at Jet2’s training centres in Cheadle and Bradford.

 

Jet2 has 19,000 staff across the business and already runs a fully funded pilot training programme, Jet2FlightPath, which currently has 60 staff on it, with a further 60 about to be appointed. This was given as an example of how aviation careers are being opened up by the company to those who cannot afford the £100,000-plus cost of learning to fly.

 

Jet2 is the only UK airline delivering its engineering apprenticeship and training entirely inhouse. It invests almost £100,000 per engineer on top of £27,000 of apprenticeship levy funding and means the airline can service nine aircraft at any one time. 

 

The company said with the right policies it could expand its inhouse maintenance further and create hundreds more skilled jobs.

 

Heapy said: “Our 19,000 colleagues make our affordable holidays happen. They have helped us build our reputation as one of the most trusted travel brands in the world.  It just shows what you can achieve if you back skills, progression and great careers. We want to work with the government so more people can progress and succeed, no matter their background.”

 

During the Jet2 More Than Just a Holiday parliamentary reception, Heapy also pointed out that holidays should not be a luxury just for the wealthy, highlighting the company’s ‘customer-first’ policy which last week included the announcement Jet2 would not introduce surcharges on booked flights and holidays to cover increased costs such as jet fuel. 

 

He added: “Families plan, save for, and look forward to their holidays all year.  Yet, even in one of the richest countries in the world, it can be too expensive for some people and that should give us pause for thought. A holiday should not be something that only the rich can afford, and it is vital that policy enables everyone to enjoy that well-deserved holiday.”

 

At the reception parliamentarians also got the chance to meet Jet2 apprentices and experience a virtual reality training tool for pilots.

 

The VR pilot walkaround trainer has been developed by Cineon and delivered in partnership with Jet2. The training solution has been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and Jet2 is the first airline to adopt it.

 

Keir Mather MP, minister for aviation, maritime and decarbonisation, backed Jet2’s investment in its workforce.

 

Speaking at the reception, he said: “It’s vital we get young people excited about careers in aviation, and we strongly support Jet2’s commitment to investing in a diverse and dynamic future workforce, delivering affordable, quality holidays for the British public.

 

“We’re investing £750,000 to break down barriers to opportunity and encourage the next generation to aim for the sky – furthering the UK’s proud history in aviation, and inspiring young people from all backgrounds to see the sector as a place where they can succeed.”