The sky’s the limit as Stansted Airport’s education centre prepares to welcome 25,000th young visitor

Stansted Airport’s education centre is set to welcome its 25,000th visitor.

To celebrate the milestone, the Aerozone is hosting a party for 30 children from Stansted Mountfitchet secondary school Forest Hall on November 28.

The aviation-themed facility welcomes children aged four to 18. It offers interactive STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities and workshops designed to engage and educate young visitors. It is fully booked for the rest of the school year.

Marcella M’Rabety, head of social sustainability for Stansted owner Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said: “We are immensely proud to reach this incredible milestone of 25,000 children visiting our Aerozone.

“The centre is a unique educational facility that continues to have a positive impact on young people, supporting them to develop STEM skills and giving them an insight into the different career options across the aviation industry.

“The Aerozone sits alongside our other education and employment facilities, including our on-site Employment Academy and Stansted Airport College, a first for a UK airport.

“These trailblazing facilities complement our graduate and apprenticeship programmes to help people find work, bridge the current skills gap and provide a pipeline of future talent.”

The Aerozone is one of the areas featured in the airport’s latest annual CSR (corporate social responsibility) report, which details Stansted’s work over the past year to benefit communities and the planet, as well as the ambitious targets it has set for the future.

Marcella said: “We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and making a positive impact in the communities that we serve.

“We want to make sure our operations contribute to a greener and more sustainable future, and continue to invest in projects and initiatives that support education, sustainability and community engagement.”

Other highlights of the report include:

• Launching the Jet Zero curriculum at the Aerozone, teaching the next generation about the role of sustainable aviation fuel.
• A further 500 students completing further education studies in aviation at Stansted Airport College; more than 7,700 have graduated to jobs at the airport since the college opened.
• Welcoming the first cohort of aspiring pilots on the pilot enrichment programme at the college, the first of its kind in the country.
• Launching a public consultation for the latest Noise Action Plan.
• Donating more than £180,000 to charities and community groups through the airport’s Community Fund.
• Generating more than £1.5m for small and medium-sized enterprises through a Meet the Buyer event.
• Hosting an industry-first youth summit, bringing together young people from around Stansted, Manchester and the East Midlands, where MAG operates, to talk about sustainability.
• Supporting more than 240 people with skills and employment training at the airport’s academy.

MAG chief executive Ken O’Toole said: “Through the achievements we have published in our annual CSR report, it is clear that creating a sustainable future for all is a central commitment at MAG.

“I am proud of the programmes and initiatives we continue to deliver on an annual basis, as well as always finding new ways to enhance our work to decarbonise our sector, inspire the next generation of aviation professionals and support our local communities.

“It is a testament to the hard work and enthusiasm of colleagues right across our group that we are able to offer such a comprehensive sustainability programme and for that approach to be independently recognised as at a five-star standard.

“It is clear to me that our business has the ability to make a real impact on the lives of young people who are exploring their career options, and I look forward to continuing this work that will create a pipeline of young, talented individuals starting work in the aviation sector.

“As we develop our new five-year CSR strategy, we will continue to develop our commitment to sustainability, to ensure that our industry can continue to thrive into the future.”