London Luton Airport (LLA) has partnered with not-for-profit social enterprise, Skills Builder¹ for a second consecutive year to develop a range of educational resources for local young people.  

Representatives from teams across LLA including the airport’s Airside Operations, Technical Services, IT, HR, Sustainability, Guest Experience and Health, Safety and Wellbeing teams, have collaborated on the initiative designed to highlight the diversity of careers at LLA.  

The resources, available to download from the LLA website, have been created to support workshops for local Key Stage 3 students, aged between 11-14 years, to highlight key transferrable skills through practical exercises.  

This year, the ‘Essential Skills Insight’ workshops will be delivered in LLA’s newly opened Excellence Academy, providing local students with the chance to step away from the classroom and experience a real office environment, with an opportunity to meet and interact with LLA employees.  

Launched to coincide with National Careers Week (3-8 March 2025), the initiative forms part of LLA’s wider skills, education and outreach programmes which aim to provide skills development opportunities and learning interventions throughout students’ school journeys, presenting them with  meaningful encounters with LLA and equipping young people with essential skills and insights, setting them up for success in the workplace. 

Nik Jones, HR Director at London Luton Airport, commented: “Research from the Education and Employers Taskforce highlights that when a young person has four or more meaningful encounters with an employer, they are 86% less likely to experience unemployment and can earn up to 22% more during their career.1 As a major local employer for the region, London Luton Airport sees initiatives such as this as a key opportunity to promote the airport’s commitment to investing in local skills development and education, as well as highlighting the breadth of exciting operational, technical and office-based career opportunities that we are able to offer.” 

Sophie Holmes, Lead Associate for Employer Programmes at Skills Builder Partnership, added: "Skills Builder Partnership is thrilled to collaborate with London Luton Airport to develop this suite of Essential Skills Workshops for Key Stage 3 students in Luton. These workshops are a fantastic opportunity for local young people to learn more about working at the airport, and the essential skills required by staff to be successful in their role. Skills Builder is excited to continue working in partnership with LLA this year, building on the success of these workshops and supporting the airport's Social Mobility and Sustainability goals."  

In 2024, the airport joined forces with The Forest of Marston Vale Trust, to launch a hugely successful environmental education programme aimed at local primary school children, providing children with an opportunity to visit the community forest and enjoy first-hand opportunities to develop their understanding of nature and biodiversity.  

This partnership with The Forest of Marston Vale Trust, combined with the Essential Skills in Aviation workshops and LLA’s broader programme of skills, education and outreach programmes, align to Luton’s 2040 vision² and aims to reach 2,000 students annually, providing a variety of interventions throughout a student’s school journey, equipping them with skills, opportunities and career insights to help them thrive in the workplace.   

-Ends- 

Notes for Editors  

1 Skills Builder partnership is a global non-for-profit social enterprise that works with employers and educators to ensure that one day, everyone builds the essential skills to succeed. Skills Builder and LLA partnered together to develop this tailored programme aligning to the Skills Builder framework ensuring that all students had the opportunity to practise Listening, Speaking, Teamwork, Creativity and Problem-Solving skills. You can find out more about LLA’s accreditation level here Essential Skills in Aviation Workshop.  

2 Luton Council’s Luton 2040 vision was developed in response to Luton’s independent Inclusive Growth Commission, which released its final report in 2019. This report outlined the 12 ambitions for the town based on the unique opportunities and most pressing challenges. In particular, the report identified overcoming poverty and inequality as a central mission that could enable everyone in Luton to thrive sector and key sectors within our economy such as manufacturing, digital and green industries. 

About London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s busiest airports, carrying over 16.7 million passengers in 2024. The airport is 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 easyJet, Wizz Air, Jet2 (flights begin from April 2025) Ryanair, Tui, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

The Luton Airport Express is a 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.

Last year, LLA was named European Airport of the Year (10-25 million passengers) by ACI EUROPE. 

In 2023, LLA also became only the third major UK airport to achieve 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 three consecutive years in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) benchmark of sustainability governance management and performance of major infrastructure assets worldwide.

To learn about the progress London Luton Airport is making across its sustainability programme please click here.

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

Contact Details:

London Luton Airport – PR agency:
E: LLA@tinmancomms.com

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

URL: https://mediahub.london-luton.co.uk/news/17032025/lla-and-skills-builder-empower-local-youth