Heathrow has set out a series of pledges for how expansion would deliver jobs, skills and economic growth for its local communities and the whole of the UK. The five promises, set out in a new report entitled “The Promise of Heathrow,” form part of a larger plan to deliver more than 120,000 new jobs and £100 billion in economic benefits by connecting the UK to global growth.
As one of the UK’s largest single-site employers, expanding Heathrow would lead to increased opportunities and training, particularly for local young people. In its new report, Heathrow promises that its expansion will double the number of apprenticeships across the airport to 10,000 by 2030 and support wider programmes to champion employability skills training in schools.
Approximately 300 apprenticeships are currently started each year across the airport. This number would double with the opportunities an expanded Heathrow would bring. This would mean: 3,000 apprenticeships in the lead up to construction, a further 3,000 during construction, and then another 4,000 during operation until 2030. We will continue to deliver an apprenticeship programme beyond 2030 and will establish our target for this by 2025.
The report also contains the promise that expansion at Heathrow has the potential to end youth unemployment in the five surrounding boroughs to the airport - Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne. Youth unemployment currently accounts for a third of total unemployment in the five local boroughs. More than 76,000 people are already directly employed on site in Heathrow. In the surrounding area, Heathrow supports a total of 114,000 jobs and accounts for one in five (22%) of local jobs.
In addition to promises to create new jobs, and apprenticeships, Heathrow is committing to:
- The promise of connecting every economic centre in the UK to growth: Heathrow expansion will help rebalance the UK economy by connecting all of the UK’s regions and nations to growth markets
- The promise of new trade and exports: Heathrow expansion will enable a significant increase in UK exports to close the gap between the UK and our European competitors.
- The promise of a cleaner and quieter Heathrow: Heathrow expansion will keep CO2 emissions within UK climate change targets, meet local air quality limits and cut the number of people affected by noise by at least 200,000.
Heathrow already runs a comprehensive set of programmes aimed at investing in young people and providing them with the skills they need to compete in a global market. The Heathrow Academy offers courses aimed at unemployed local residents and supports the airport’s objective to recruit 50% of all of our colleagues from local boroughs. Heathrow also hosts one of the largest careers fair in the country showcasing companies operating at Heathrow, with almost 6,000 students attending last year.
Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye, said:
“Heathrow is more than an airport: it is a national asset and a critical part of our local and national economy. An additional runway at Heathrow will mean more than an increased flight capacity, it will lead to more jobs, more opportunities for youth and a reinvigorated local economy. The promise of Heathrow, the prize we can secure should our expansion proceed, is British prosperity we can all benefit from.”
Notes for Editors
Watch our video on how Heathrow’s future vision can help turn “Stories of promise” into success by taking Britain further http://youtu.be/iKW9UAyIbqU
Out of the top 300 companies in the UK, 202 have their headquarters clustered within a 25 mile radius of Heathrow. However, jobs and opportunities at Heathrow will be made increasingly accessible to residents beyond surrounding boroughs, and throughout Greater London, as a range of public transport options, including Crossrail, are completed, and commuting times to the airport decrease.
- The full text of “The Promise of Heathrow” will be released on September 18th, 2014 on www.heathrowairport.com
