Aerozone celebrates 20,000 visitor milestone

• MP Robert Halfon congratulates the "unique educational facility"
• Airport celebrates milestone with party for local primary school
• Children received goody bags and enjoyed activities including visits from the airport fire service and Essex Police dog unit
• Aerozone opened in 2015 to develop STEM skills and promote aviation careers

Aerozone Stansted is ending the year on a high after officially welcoming the education centre’s 20,000th visitor.

To celebrate the milestone, the airport hosted a party at the centre for 30 children from Stansted Mountfitchet’s Magna Carta Primary Academy.

The children were treated to goody bags and enjoyed activities including a visit from the airport's fire service and an Essex Police dog unit.

The centre opened in June 2015 to develop STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills and encourage children between the ages of four and 18 to consider a career in aviation after they leave school, college, or university.

Congratulating the airport on reaching the milestone, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, Robert Halfon MP, said:

"Aerozone Stansted is a unique educational facility which continues to have a positive impact on young people, supporting them to develop STEM skills and inspiring them with different career options across the aviation industry. 

"It is great to see the Stansted Aerozone reach this milestone of 20,000 young people passing through its doors. I am delighted to see a partnership between industry and education to create a fantastic practical educational experience for children and young people from across Essex. 

"Education centres like Stansted Aerozone are a critical rung on the ladder of opportunity, offering children and young people vital exposure to future careers from an early age and helping them to develop the skills they will need in the future.”

Alex Smith, Stansted’s Education Manager, said:

“Ever since the Aerozone opened in 2015 the response from schools in the area has been fantastic and it has become an important part of the local community. 

"We’re delighted to reach this impressive milestone of 20,000 young people benefitting from all the interactive activities we have on offer. 

"It was set up to inspire young people to consider the varied careers within aviation, focusing on the vital STEM subjects that generate real prospects for young people and open their eyes to the fantastic opportunities available on their doorstep. 

"We have a packed schedule of schools – mainly from within 20 miles of the airport – booked in to visit the Aerozone, demonstrating the appetite for local children to find out more about London Stansted and build their aspirations for careers in everything from engineering to hospitality.”

Today’s celebration follows the recently launched MAG Connect programme which aims to educate and inspire people of all ages about the opportunities a career in aviation can provide.

The programmes will be delivered using a network of education and employment facilities, including the airport’s on-site Employment Academy and Stansted Airport College, a first for any UK airport.

These trailblazing facilities sit alongside the airport’s graduate and apprenticeship programmes to help people find work and bridge the current skills gap in STEM subjects and provide a pipeline of future talent.

Marcella M’Rabety, Group Head of Education, Skills and Employment at MAG, said:

"MAG Connect is a clear demonstration of our commitment to inspiring the next generation of aviation talent. 

"By illustrating the breadth of opportunities in our industry to young people, and by supporting and upskilling jobseekers into exciting career paths, the aviation sector stands to benefit from a new cohort of passionate professionals for the future.”