Partnership will support skills, employment and social mobility across Medway
Rochester Airport is delighted to announce a strategic partnership with Brighter Futures Social Investment CIC, creating new opportunities for young people and those looking for work across Medway.
The partnership will bring together Brighter Futures’ established Essential Employability Skills Programme and the practical learning opportunities available within a working airport. Through Skills Weeks, supported work experience and engagement with airport staff, tenants and local employers, participants will be helped to develop their confidence, improve their employability and explore pathways into work, volunteering, education, training and apprenticeships.
Skills Weeks and work experience
Brighter Futures’ Essential Employability Skills Programme helps participants develop the skills employers value, including communication, teamwork, resilience, problem-solving, time management, personal responsibility and workplace conduct.
Planned Skills Weeks at Rochester Airport will allow participants to put those skills into practice, meet people working in different roles and gain a clearer understanding of workplace expectations. Supported work experience will provide practical experience that participants can draw upon in job applications and interviews.
Participants will also be introduced to careers across airport operations, engineering, technology, logistics, business administration and customer service. The programme will demonstrate that careers in aviation extend far beyond flying and that opportunities can begin locally in Medway.
Social value and social mobility
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to delivering lasting social value for Medway. It will focus on helping remove barriers that can prevent people from entering employment or accessing further opportunities, including young people who are unemployed, not currently in education or training, care-experienced, underrepresented groups or those facing other challenges.
By connecting participants with employers, positive role models and practical workplace experience, the programme will help them recognise their strengths and consider careers they may not previously have thought were open to them.
Supporting more local people towards sustainable employment can benefit individuals and families while helping Medway employers develop a more confident, work-ready and diverse talent pipeline. Rochester Airport and Brighter Futures also share an ambition to develop an on-site skills hub where people can learn, meet employers and receive support as they prepare for work or further training.
Ben Spiers, Airport Director and Accountable Manager at Rochester Airport, said:
“This partnership is about opening doors and creating meaningful opportunities for people across Medway. By combining skills development with practical workplace experience, we can help participants build confidence and take their next steps towards employment, education or training.
“Rochester Airport has a responsibility to play a positive role within its community. We want to create genuine social value, support social mobility and help ensure that someone’s background or circumstances do not limit their ambitions.
“Our Fly, Connect, Belong ethos is about bringing people together. Through this partnership, we can connect local people with employers, experiences and opportunities that could make a lasting difference to their future.”
James Brumer, Director of Brighter Futures Social Investment CIC, said:
“Talent and potential exist throughout Medway, but access to opportunity is not always equal. By connecting our Essential Employability Skills Programme with Skills Weeks and supported work experience at Rochester Airport, we can help people build confidence, discover new possibilities and take practical steps towards their future.
“This partnership demonstrates what meaningful social value and social mobility can look like when organisations work together to remove barriers and create opportunities. It will benefit participants, their families, local employers and the wider Medway community.”
Rochester Airport and Brighter Futures Social Investment look forward to working with employers, education providers and community organisations as the partnership develops. Further information or to enquire about work experience can be obtained by contacting [email protected].