Gatwick Airport apprentice programme: How did it start? Why has Gatwick decided to expand the number and type of apprentices this year? Who is the programme open to?

Now in its 46th year, Gatwick’s apprenticeship programme has seen more than 300 people graduate since 1977 and applications are now open this year. For full details click here.

Here is a Q&A with Dave White, Apprentice Development Lead at Gatwick Airport, to talk about the scheme.

Tell us a bit about the Gatwick Airport apprentice programme. How did it start?

The apprenticeship programme at Gatwick Airport is now in its 46th year and incredibly, we’ve seen more than 300 people ‘graduate’ from the programme over that time – myself included.

It has predominantly focused on engineering-based roles during this time but has now expanded to include IT and cyber security as well as corporate responsibility and sustainability apprenticeships.

The great thing about an airport is no two days are the same. So, no matter what your role at Gatwick is, every day is exciting and certainly keeps you on your toes, making it the perfect environment to learn and develop skills, with plenty of hands-on experience.

How many apprentices is Gatwick Airport recruiting?

We are recruiting for six apprentices this year, our equal highest ever intake in one cohort, as we expand from four engineering apprentices to an additional two roles covering IT and cyber security. We are inviting applications for:

- Engineering apprentice x 3

- Transport Engineering apprentice x 1

- IT Service Desk apprentice x 1

- Cyber Security apprentice x 1

Why has Gatwick decided to expand the number and type of apprentices this year?

With the continued success of our engineering apprenticeships, we are confident our new apprenticeships across IT service and cyber security will provide the same excellent environment for learning and development. At Gatwick, we are committed to providing both education and employment opportunities for local people – especially as we look to bring our existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside our Main Runway. IT and cyber security are obviously critical aspects of the airport running successfully, so to have additional expertise in these fields, providing young people with a fantastic opportunity to earn while they learn, is something we’ve been working on for some time and we’re delighted to be able to roll out the new apprenticeships this year.

Who is the programme open to?

Applicants for the engineering, transport engineering and IT apprenticeships will need actual or predicted GCSE level 4/5 or above in maths, English and a science subject. Applicants for the cyber security apprenticeship will need actual or predicted passes at A Level, or a BTEC Diploma.

What can prospective apprentices expect from the programme?

The programme gives young engineers and IT and cyber professionals the opportunity to earn while they learn. Depending on the apprenticeship, they range from two to four-year programmes and will include studying at either East Surrey College in Redhill, Nescot College in Epsom or Langley College in Slough, alongside hands-on experience at the airport. On site, engineering apprentices will get involved in a whole range of exciting tasks and challenges, across the airfield, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), baggage, shuttles, transport engineering, specialist systems and life safety systems, gaining a full insight into exactly what it takes to run the world's busiest single runway airport. One day, you might be fixing our baggage system to ensure our passengers’ luggage is delivered to the aircraft and the next, working on the airfield lighting systems to ensure the airfield is in perfect condition.

Our transport engineering apprentice role will involve working on exciting, challenging, and innovative vehicles across our Gatwick fleet, such as our specialist snow clearing equipment, our firefighting vehicles and our electric vehicles. Our apprentices will also get involved in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) events with local schools across Crawley and the wider region to pass on their experiences and inspire the next generation. For our new IT apprentice, they can expect to gain strong working knowledge of the wide range of systems that support the airport, such as baggage systems, passenger e-Gates, self-service check-in kiosks where passengers drop off their bags, and the flight information screens. Finally, our new cyber security apprentice will be working with our team to keep all airport critical systems secure from threats, identifying and responding to cyber events, keeping our airport and people safe.

What happens at the end of the apprenticeships?

We are delighted that many of our apprentices go on to full time roles at the airport on completion of their programme. This is testament not only to the quality of our apprenticeship programme, but also to our working culture of developing our people. Whether they stay on at Gatwick or seek opportunities elsewhere, our apprentices gain industry standard recognised qualifications in their field. Our engineering apprentices become fully qualified Engineering Technicians, while our transport engineering apprentice will gain a BTEC Level 3 qualification. Our new cyber apprentice will gain a Level 4 Cyber Security Technologist qualification, and our new IT apprentice will gain a Level 3 ICT qualification.

What have been some of the programme’s biggest success stories over the years?

As I mentioned, I started out as a Gatwick Airport apprentice and in fact, most of our apprentices do go on to get a full-time role at the airport, and stay here for years, if not decades in some cases! The fact that the programme has been running for nearly 50 years now demonstrates its ongoing success. For me personally, one of our biggest success stories came in 2021, when we were delighted to take on an equal split of male and female engineering candidates for the first time.

We are also very proud that in the past two years, the apprentice programme has been recognised with second place in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the Rate My Apprenticeship Awards. Gatwick also placed second in the South East as best apprenticeship employers.

How can people apply for the apprentice programme this year?

All the details are available on the Gatwick Airport website and applications will remain open until Sunday 12th March. To apply, you'll need actual or predicted grades in the relevant subjects, and you'll also need to be able to commit to the full length of the programme.