Aviation academy takes off

Citation

(2003), "Aviation academy takes off", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 75 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2003.12775dab.013

Aviation academy takes off

Aviation academy takes off

Kingston University plays a major role in the launch of a major new European centre of excellence in aircraft engineering. The Newcastle Aviation Academy, which offers students the opportunity to sign up for Kingston's Foundation Degree in Aircraft Engineering opened its doors in June.

The academy is the result of a partnership between the University, Newcastle Airport, the City of Bristol College and Newcastle College. Its establishment is another important milestone in the University's mission to become the leading provider of aviation education and training in Europe. As a key player in the project, the University was awarded £1.7 million to refurbish a hangar at Newcastle Airport and to buy Boeing 737 and Hawker Siddeley aircraft.

The University's Pro Vice-Chancellor for Enterprise, Professor Andrew Self, said the new academy would help counter a worldwide shortage of aircraft maintenance personnel. "It will have a tremendous impact on the industry. Within 5 years, Kingston graduates will be signing off the majority of aircraft in the United Kingdom as safe for flight," he said.

Budget airline easyJet has chosen Newcastle as its aircraft maintenance base, largely because of the additional skilled workforce that will shortly be available. Newcastle Airport Chief Executive John Parkin said, demand for air travel was expected to rise rapidly during the next 30 years. "To keep pace, we need to develop and diversify the knowledge and skills' base to support the expansion of air services. With the help of Kingston University, the Newcastle Aviation Academy will build a world-class aviation engineering workforce," he said.

Kingston's Foundation Degree in Aircraft Engineering has earned significant praise during the past year. Launched in 2001, it is run in partnership with KLM Engineering Limited and the City of Bristol College and currently has 250 students on its books. The degree is the first in the United Kingdom to offer students the chance to gain a JAR-66 licence. The qualification enables Kingston graduates to become fully-fledged aircraft engineers without further on-the-job training. The UK's Higher Education Minister Margaret Hodge has cited the Foundation Degree in several speeches as a shining example of the way education and industry should work together to address skills' gaps. The University has also been awarded a £900,000 Higher Education Funding Council grant to develop a laboratory at its Roehampton Vale campus and has just purchased a Learjet for practical training.