Claire Perry, the Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry, visited Stansted Airport at the end of November to see the start of the construction phase for Stansted Airport College.

Designed by Pascall and Watson, this is the first on-site college of its kind at any major UK airport; it is a joint venture between Harlow College and the airport.

Due to open in time for the 2018 autumn term, the new college will boost the skills of students in the region and supply future talent for the airport and the 200 plus on-site companies.

The two-storey facility (on a one-acre site made available by the airport) has received two separate £3.5 million grants — from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund and Essex County Council —
plus a £300,000 grant from Uttlesford District Council.

The college will accommodate more than 500 students each year and offer courses designed to bridge the skills gap in the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), as well as specific airport subjects — such as aircraft and airport engineering, business studies, logistics and supply chain management, asset management, hospitality and customer service.

Brad Miller, Stansted Airport’s CEO (www.stanstedairportcollege.ac.uk), said: “Stansted Airport College is a great example of the private and public sector working together on behalf of our region to try to deliver part of the solution to a very real problem.

The airport sits within an area of low unemployment, so it can often be challenging for companies to fill vacancies across our site.

“The aim of the project is to help address the growing skills gap in engineering, hospitality and customer service across our region, develop talent and provide more opportunities for local people to join us, as we play an ever more critical role in providing UK runway capacity over the next decade.”