Businesses at Heathrow pledge over 400 new apprenticeships to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week

Heathrow businesses yesterday recognised the valuable contribution of its apprentices with pledges to create over 400 new apprenticeships during 2016.

The pledges came from some of the 400 businesses which work in and around the airport, including members of the Heathrow Sustainability Partnership, at an event hosted by Heathrow Academy to mark National Apprenticeship Week.  Businesses making a pledge include Heathrow Airport Limited, World Duty Free, Balfour Beatty and Ferrovial Agroman.

Since 2004, the Heathrow Academy has placed over 1,500 people into apprenticeships, including 82 that graduated last year. Heathrow Airport has invested more than £4 million in the growth of the Academy and has ambitious plans for its future. Should Heathrow expansion go ahead, the airport has promised to offer 10,000 apprenticeships over the course of the project.

Over 75,000 people are employed at Heathrow, and the airport accounts for one in five jobs (22%) in Slough, Spelthorne, Hounslow, Hillingdon and Ealing.  In the 11 years since the Academy was established, over 5,000 local residents - from school leaving age upwards - have been placed into further training opportunities and more than 3,000 have been employed at the airport.

Speaking at the event, Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye, said:

"We want Heathrow to be a great place to work, which attracts the most talented people from the local area and allows them to fulfil their potential - an environment where one of the children in a local school today can one day do my job.  The Heathrow Academy plays a vital role in giving them the best start to their careers at the airport.”

The event at Heathrow Academy heard about the experiences of three apprentices from the local area:

Valentina Panoiu, who is 24-years-old and from Hounslow. She works for JD Wetherspoon at The Flying Chariot in Terminal 2. She completed a Customer Service and Team Leader apprenticeship and is just starting her Hospitality Supervision and Leadership Advanced apprenticeship.

Scott Berry, who is 25-years-old and from Slough. He works for World Duty Free at Terminal 5.  He completed a Team Leader Apprenticeship and is now doing a Management Advanced apprenticeship.

Rolando Colaco, who is 39-years-old andfrom Hillingdon. He works for OmniServ. He completed an Advanced Apprenticeship in Management.  

Notes to editors

For further information please contact david_paull_supplier@heathrow.com.

For further information about Heathrow Academy, please visit www.heathrow.com/company/heathrow-jobs/heathrow-academy 

The Heathrow Sustainability Partnership is a group of companies representing all sectors at the airport, from airlines and ground handlers to construction companies and retailers. Led by a Board made up of the Chief Executives of 16 companies operating at Heathrow, the Partnership works in collaboration to achieve long term improvements in Heathrow’s sustainability performance.

The pledges:

• Balfour Beatty has pledged to involve its subcontractors in recruitment through Heathrow Academy and will obtain pledges from them to use Heathrow Academy as their first port of call when recruiting for Heathrow operatives. The target for 2016 is a 25% uptake of current subcontractors working at Heathrow to recruit through the Academy.

• Ferrovial Agroman has pledged a commitment to recruit 5% of operative recruits to the Heathrow Academy today as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2016. As one of the founding members of the Heathrow Sustainability Partnership, Ferrovial Agroman hopes to continue to strengthen the relationship with the Academy and the local airport community. Ferrovial Agroman has been operating at Heathrow for several years and is looking forward to opening its doors to new recruits on its current and any future projects.
• World Duty Free  has been working with Heathrow Academy for over five years and has today pledged 40 Recruitment, 45 apprentices and 207 development opportunities
• Heathrow Airport Limited has pledged 50 new apprenticeships, with the ambition to have a total of 150 over the next two years, and 40 development opportunities  

For further information on the Heathrow Sustainability Partnership, please visit www.heathrow.com/hsp