London Gatwick Airport supports local students to develop employment prospects through Dare to Dream programme

Since September, five staff volunteers from across the airport have provided one-to-one mentoring sessions to 15 Year 9 students from The Gatwick School in Crawley.

Mentors have shared their own experiences and knowledge, helping the students grow both personally and professionally. The sessions have focused on core themes such as self-awareness, mindset, gratitude, resilience, teamwork, and employment.

London Gatwick has now been involved in the Dare to Dream programme for the third consecutive year. Created by the Love Local Jobs Foundation, the programme aims to support the development of essential life skills for young people, preparing them for their future careers.

Lynnie, London Gatwick data protection executive, and Dare to Dream mentor, said: “Dare to Dream is a fantastic programme that I am thrilled to be a part of.

“I see a lot of myself in some of the students I have mentored, and I am delighted to be able to play a positive role in their lives at such an influential time.

“It is so important that young people can learn about opportunities and have strong ambitions for the future - it’s great to see London Gatwick really help with that.”

Students were also given the opportunity to visit London Gatwick for an airfield tour and engage in a Q&A session with current graduates and apprentices at the newly opened STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) centre, gaining valuable insights into future career paths.

Olivia Newman, assistant headteacher, The Gatwick School said: “We have loved working with London Gatwick through the Dare to Dream programme this year.

“The programme is a great place for pupils to feel inspired and aspirational about their futures.

“Having Gatwick so close is fantastic as it really allows us to bring different careers to life and grow within our community.

“The mentors at Gatwick have been great, they worked so hard with our pupils and really took the time to get to know them which meant effective mentoring really took place. Our mentored pupils’ attendance has improved and their engagement in lessons also!”

In the coming months, London Gatwick will expand its support to more students in the surrounding region, with the aim to reach one million student engagements by 2030, across its various education programmes.

The recent opening of the airport’s on-site STEM centre will play a key role in delivering this target. The bespoke centre offers a hands-on learning space for school children aged four-18 to explore STEM disciplines and the various airport-related career opportunities available to them.