2012-11-02 — /travelprnews.com/ — Heathrow Airport is celebrating the Class of 2012, after holding its 7th annual Retail Academy graduation ceremony. The event brings together candidates who have completed retail or customer service apprenticeships at Heathrow with the employers that have help make the programme a success and so far this year 300 candidates have been placed in jobs.
The Heathrow Academy helps to ensure local residents benefit from the employment opportunities at the airport and operates across the Retail, Construction, and Aviation and Logistics sectors. 76,500 people work at Heathrow – roughly a thousand people for every million passengers who pass through the terminals each year1. Combining a programme of pre-employment support with an insight into on-site employer requirements, courses are aimed at unemployed residents from the five boroughs surrounding Heathrow – Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne. The key objectives are to raise awareness of the diverse range of airport jobs which are available and to attract the very best local talent to careers at Heathrow.
Heathrow works with employers at the airport to make sure candidates on the course receive training which reflects the competencies and skills needed to work in the airport industry. Job opportunities following the courses can range from skilled positions for candidates with qualifications and relevant experience to entry level positions for those with little or no experience. Once in employment, candidates are encouraged to continue their professional development, in many cases by pursuing professional qualifications and career progression such as the apprenticeships.
Sahra Sayed, winner of a special recognition award, said:
“The Heathrow Academy gave me a chance I couldn’t get elsewhere. The training in everything from customer services to time management and interview preparation has proved invaluable in getting a job – in my case at Carluccio’s in T5.”
Pablo Perez, Employment and Skills Manager at Heathrow said:
“The Heathrow Academy has been running for 8 years now and we’ve seen a year-on-year increase in the number of people taking the course and getting employment as a result. It’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in working in retail, construction or logistics and for the majority of the candidates Heathrow is right on their door-step.”
The graduation ceremony took place at the Marriott Hotel Heathrow and graduates, mentors and employers gathered to celebrate. Travelex won the award for the most proactive and supportive employer.
Notes to editors
1 – In 2011 Heathrow saw 69.4m people pass through its terminals.
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Heathrow Academy Graduation