Aviation apprentices of tomorrow inspired by Horley and Gatwick live broadcast

More than 42,000 students from 467 schools watched ‘Aviation Live’, with children from as far away as Scotland and Cornwall tuning in to the educational show.

The broadcast, aired from Oakwood School, Horley and Gatwick, was designed to inspire the aviation apprentices of the future.

Pupils were able to put questions to easyJet’s first apprentice cabin crew member and a Border Force employee who completed an apprenticeship.

The live broadcast also ‘patched in’ to two Gatwick engineering apprentices standing beside the runway.

Tim Rose, a teacher at Oakwood School, Horley, said: “The recording of Aviation Live was a great success and we had 100 Year Seven and Year Eight students participate as a live audience during the broadcast - watching with enthusiasm - and just a little bit of envy, as four of the Oakwood Year 11 students stood and asked questions from the runway at Gatwick Airport.

“The students were really excited and keen to get involved in the programme and were impeccably behaved throughout the live recording!”

Aviation Live was purposely timed to coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, and was organised by Gatwick and Learn Live – an organisation that brings live learning into the classroom.

Liberty Frankland, engineering apprentice at Gatwick Airport, said: “It was so inspiring to see the amount of engaging questions and the interest that everyone had in apprenticeships.

“I really hope they came away from Aviation Live with a new and positive view on the job opportunities there are at Gatwick and in the aviation sector.”