Schools & STEM

We work with local schools and colleges

Science, technology, engineering and maths - the so-called STEM subjects - form the basis of many of the core skills needed for engineering and construction jobs at an airport.

We are passionate about actively encouraging young people to take up more STEM subjects and working in partnership with a number of organisations to achieve this, as well as sponsoring and supporting local and regional events which are inspiring tens of thousands of school children in these subjects.

We actively work with initiatives that promote women in aviation

Our community work forms part of our sustainability policy

Building future skills forms part of our sustainability policy - our Decade of Change.

Our school programmes include

Big Bang Roadshows

Our roadshows aim to give students across the region a more hands-on experience of STEM-related careers to encourage them to consider working in aviation.

The airport roadshows have visited schools in Kent, Surrey and Sussex and involved thousands of pupils.

Primary Engineers

More than 1,200 primary school children from 15 schools across Sussex, Surrey and Croydon take part in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) programme, funded by Gatwick Airport.

The Primary Engineer project inspires Key Stage 1 and 2 children by giving their teachers enhanced skills to deliver STEM subjects in an engaging way and challenging the pupils to build a vehicle in competition with the other schools.

Aviation Live

35,000 thousand students from 300 UK schools tuned into ‘Aviation Live’ – in a real-time broadcast designed to inspire young people to consider a career in aviation.

Children from as far away as Scotland and Cornwall tuned into the broadcast at Oakwood School, Horley, and put questions to airport staff in a ‘Top Gear-style’ studio format.

Promoting Women in Aviation

In 2019, 77 pupils and mothers from Millais all-girls school visited the airport

We hosted a unique event designed to encourage both mothers and daughters to work in the industry. They had a tour of the airfield, fire station, and learned, in real time, how aircraft are parked through a laser guided system.

We're building bridges

We're on a mission to encourage the curious minds of young people to explore the world of engineering.

Even COVID-19 can't stop us. We've run virtual initiatives with local schools throughout the pandemic. This year even our work experience programme went virtual.

We've partnered with a US based non-profit called Engineering Tomorrow. They run labs tailored to promoting careers in engineering. Our partnership has allowed them to expand these labs into the UK. We've already reached 250 students this year.