CAA STEM Partnerships 2023/24
The CAA STEM Programme aims to inspire and engage young people to explore careers in STEM, aviation, and aerospace. We work hard to support and encourage their future career choices, by collaborating with likeminded organisations to help make this possible.
This year we are delighted to announce our partnerships with The Jon Egging Trust, Primary Engineer and Fantasy Wings, who each offer a number of unique and engaging ways to achieve this goal. Here is a brief overview as to why we have decided to partner and collaborate with them.
The Jon Egging Trust (JET)
The Jon Egging Trust believes that through inspiration and support, every young person can overcome adversity, identify their strengths and be the best they can be.
JET supports vulnerable young people, at significant risk of dropping out of education, to get back on track and realise their potential.
The Jon Egging Trust (JET) believes that every child should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and be the best that they can be. Grounded in the legacy of Red Arrows pilot Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, we connect children and young people in the UK with inspirational mentors from the STEM environment, which includes aviation, aerospace and many other exciting industries. Jon Egging Trust – Inspiration, Teamwork, Leadership, Employability
Primary Engineer – ‘If you were an Engineer, what would you do?’ Competition
‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ is an annual, UK-wide competition which is open to all primary and secondary pupils in all schools, currently divided into 19 regions. Pupils from 3 through to 19 interview engineering professionals, identify a problem and create a drawn and annotated solution to it in response to the question, ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’
Pupils develop skills such as the Engineering Habits of Mind (EHoM); problem finding, creative problem solving, visualising, improving, adapting along with critical thinking skills and communication skills. Entries are shortlisted by engineering professionals at grading days in each region and panels in each region select entries from each year group to win awards.
CAA engineering professionals have the opportunities for meaningful interactions with educators and to inspire pupils to develop skills and to enable them to better understand the world of engineering and the opportunities within it, especially those within the aviation and aerospace sectors and the CAA itself. ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ – Primary Engineer
Fantasy Wings
As we know one of the biggest problems facing the aviation industry is a lack of diversity. Limited support and systemic barriers make it hard for underrepresented groups to access the exciting opportunities on offer in the Airline Pilot industry. Fantasy Wings offers a programme with a goal to give Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, and Women a platform to enter and excel in the Aviation industry or become commercial airline pilots through expert-led workshops, conferences, mentoring and real flight training.
This pioneering course brings together pilots from leading airlines, aviation professionals and flight training organisations to help launch BAME people and women into the aviation industry.
Fantasy Wings offers a diverse programme which is split into four parts, each of which you can make your own:
- Career Mentoring
- Pilot Training
- Career Workshops
- Annual Conference
The CAA are supporting in following ways:
- CAA to sponsor 280 spaces for young people on their 23/24 programme. This will be allocated to the schools and local authorities they work with across London, Birmingham and Manchester.
- CAA facilitating visits for their young people – host an event that will inspire young people and provide knowledge with talks and presentation from key people in industry.
- Work experience days for several of their participants (‘a day in the life of’) so young people can see what is involved in different aspects of working for the CAA.
- Senior CAA Executive to speak to their young people at their annual conference and leadership in Aviation events.