International youth day at Farnborough

International youth day at Farnborough

Keywords: Aviation industry

This year's Farnborough International Airshow held for the first time an innovative International Youth Day.

The event was held with the Ministerial support of the UK's Department of Trade & Industry. Valuable sponsorship came from the Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Farnborough International Limited also reports that close to 100 companies and organisations were involved, together with some 40 educational establishments.

Trevor Sidebottom, Managing Director of Farnborough International Limited said: “We are delighted at the number of companies that gave their support for the event and for the recognition given by the UK Government through the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions. This resounding acknowledgement for the International Youth Day, together with the valuable sponsorship secured from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, confirms the real benefit Farnborough International Airshow brings to its exhibitors, visitors and the industry at large.”

He continued: “Many different sized companies across all sectors provided help in practical ways by giving lectures, offering facilities at the show, or sponsoring groups of young people to attend. Farnborough International Airshow is a global aerospace exhibition and we are privileged to be co-ordinating such an important activity for the industry.”

International Youth Day was an eye- catching, mind opening programme of opportunities for young people in enjoying and learning about the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Some 1,250 young people, (aged between 15 and 23, covering the GCSE to Masters level of education) attended the day as a reward for achievements connected with the industry.

The Day was very full, with each student involved in a programme of pre-arranged activities, including a programme of lectures, narrated tours around the exhibition halls, the Space Pavilion and the static aircraft park;involvement in tailored demonstrations and educational programmes by various Regional Aerospace Alliances, Rolls- Royce and the UK Youth Build-A- Plane project, as well as in a Fresher's Fair and access to a variety of flight simulators.

The international dimension to the day were illustrated by lectures being given by Patty Wagstaff, US champion aerobatics pilot and by Peter Chandler on the Airbus A380. In addition, a team from Statesville Christian School in Statesville, North Carolina, USA who are winners of the Fourth Annual Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) – the world's largest rocket contest with entries from across the USA – attended International Youth Day courtesy of Raytheon. Further, a range of overseas companies provided support and students from Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands and USA will be attending.

Jon Chitty, Project Manager for International Youth Day commented: “We were very excited by the response we had to our initiative. But our aim is to initiate a programme well into the future to ensure that the momentum we have created at Farnborough International Airshow is sustained across industry and academia. We have to link individual aspirations to potential jobs, to the route available to get that job, and then the qualifications necessary to follow that route.”

Chitty will take this work forward as Director of Launchpad for Learning– a charity that seeks to open up interest and involvement for young people in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, for which the Farnborough International Airshow provides a perfect opportunity for showcasing such careers.

He added: “This is the perfect catalyst for everyone – students and industry alike – in recognising and advertising the personal and professional opportunities in a challenging and innovative sector such as aerospace. It all illustrates the huge importance of attracting young people of the right calibre to sustain, develop and enhance the key technologies essential to the sector's future success.”