London Luton Airport’s (LLA) flagship Classroom to Careers programme has soared past the halfway mark in its bid to reach 2,000 local students and young people over three years.

The Classroom to Careers programme provides skills development and education workshop opportunities to local schools and community groups and is delivered by the LLA community team, working alongside airport volunteers and Luton Council’s Children, Families and Education team. 

In 2025, more than 30 LLA volunteers supported the programme that has now reached 1,200 local young people in just its second year. 

The programme aims to support students’ progression into employment and aligns with Luton Council’s 2040 vision to build a healthy and fair town where everyone can thrive. As one of the largest employers in the region, the airport offers a multitude of career pathways, with more than half of passholders currently working across the airport residing within the LU1-LU4 postcode area.  

Last year, LLA’s commitment to local skills development and education initiatives was boosted by a £90,000 grant from the Reach for the Skies Challenge Fund. The Fund is a joint initiative from the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority, introduced to support community volunteering projects, such as Classroom to Careers, that look to inspire and create opportunities for those currently underrepresented in the sector.

Highlights of LLA’s 2025 Classroom to Careers activities include:

• 11 skills workshops, hosted by LLA volunteers, delivered to more than 200 secondary school pupils in Luton
• A partnership with charity, The Forest of Marston Vale, to deliver an environmental programme to 180 pupils from three Luton primary schools, offering access to outdoor learning and enhancing understanding of biodiversity and nature
• A revamp of LLA’s apprenticeship programme, with six local young people recruited to Guest Experience, Health and Safety, Sustainability, Digital Marketing and Commercial apprenticeship roles at the airport
• Volunteers from the LLA security team supporting almost 100 people taking part in a six-month street works employment training programme, developed to help local people access traffic management and infrastructure employment opportunities in Luton and the wider Bedfordshire region
• Work experience placements across the airport
• Wider activities stemming from LLA’s charity partnership with the National Literacy Trust and Green Careers Week 

Nik Jones, HR Director at London Luton Airport, commented: “London Luton Airport is continuing to invest in the future of our local community through structured skills, training and career development initiatives. Our flagship Classroom to Careers programme aims to excite and inspire local young people and highlight the breadth of career opportunities at the airport, from roles in Operations, Finance and IT, through to HR, Marketing and Commercial. We are delighted to see the positive impact of Classroom to Careers and the workshops, apprenticeships, work experience placements and university partnerships that sit within it.” 

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About London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s busiest airports, operated by a consortium, of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and InfraBridge, a leading infrastructure investment manager. Airlines include Jet2, easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

The airport is owned for community benefit by Luton Rising, a company wholly-owned by Luton Council, which has invested more than £500m in front-line, voluntary and charitable services since 1998.

The Luton Airport Express is a new dedicated train service that allows passengers to travel from central London to the LLA terminal in around 30 minutes. The Luton Airport Express runs from St Pancras International to Luton Airport Parkway station and connects seamlessly with the DART, an electrically powered people mover that connects to the airport terminal in less than four minutes.

In 2024, LLA was named European Airport of the Year (10-25 million passengers) by ACI EUROPE, and in 2025 LLA received the highest possible rating of 'Very Good' in the annual Airport Accessibility report published by the CAA, assessing assisted travel service performance.

In 2023, LLA also achieved Level 4 of the globally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, demonstrating that it is ‘transforming its operations to achieve carbon reductions in line with global climate goals’. With a maximum score of 100 and a five-star rating, LLA has been ranked as a sector leader for four consecutive years in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) benchmark of sustainability governance management and performance of major infrastructure assets worldwide.

LLA continues to be a major employer and a key economic driver in Bedfordshire — supporting 28,000 jobs and contributing £830 million per year to the local economy. In 2024, LLA spent 60% of its supply chain costs with more than 300 businesses within a 25-mile radius of the airport, totalling £110 million.

Further information on London Luton Airport can be found here: https://www.london-luton.co.uk/ 

London Luton Airport Press Office
T: 01582 395333
E: pressoffice@ltn.aero

URL: https://mediahub.london-luton.co.uk/news/04022026/lla-classroom-to-careers-a-soaring-success