UTC students will have the chance to earn their wings thanks to new bursary programme

A generous bursary will give students at a Newham UTC the chance to earn their wings and progress to becoming pilots or to other aviation industry pathways.

The Sir Michael Bishop Foundation, led by former airline boss Sir Michael Bishop (now Lord Glendonbrook), has created a £125,000 bursary programme for students at London Design and Engineering UTC.

The funding will provide students with a broad sweep of support, including:

  • Membership for all the UTC’s aviation students of the Air League, a charity aimed at supporting young people into that sector.
  • Life-changing bursaries for flying lessons for students who demonstrate exceptional progress, resilience, and ambition.
  • Visits to the RAF museums and industry workshops with airlines, airports, and aerospace companies.

LDE UTC and the Baker Dearing Educational Trust opened the Sir Michael Bishop Foundation Aviation Suite on Tuesday 2 June.

With views over London City Airport, which Lord Glendonbrook championed, the students will be able to access cutting-edge equipment in the suite, including an industry-standard flight simulator.

Lords Glendonbrook (at the controls) and Baker at the flight simulator.

The new bursaries have been made possible by this enormously kind gift from Lord Glendonbrook, who created the Michael Bishop Foundation to pursue his extensive philanthropic interests, funding numerous causes in education, the arts and healthcare.

Reflecting his strong belief in equipping young people to realise their full potential, the foundation backed the Baker Dearing Educational Trust in developing University Technical Colleges, including the London Design and Engineering UTC, appropriately situated opposite City Airport and offering aviation as a specialism.

Social mobility and youth employment to benefit

The bursary will open up new aviation career pathways for the University Technical College’s students and provide a strong source of motivation to attend school and achieve.

By providing real-world experiences, the programme will drive students’ progress towards careers in aviation, engineering, and aerospace. For example, the substantial number of flying hours will help students work towards a private pilot’s licence.

The bursaries will also be a boon for social mobility in Newham, which has one of the highest child poverty rates in London, by giving young people, many of whom are from low-income backgrounds, opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.

This is absolutely vital after the Office for National Statistics estimated more than one million young people in the UK are now out of education, employment or training.

‘Exceptional’ UTC praised by Ofsted for employer links

The UTC delivers for students aged 13 to 19 a specialist technical education curriculum that focuses on key local industry areas, including aviation, and students regularly interact with a variety of local and national employers, including London City Airport, BA City Flyer, Costain, Skanska and Thames Water.

These “excellent” links with local and national employers were praised in a recent report into the school by Ofsted.

The government watchdog gave LDE UTC ‘exceptional’, the highest grade, in five out of seven categories – placing it among the best schools in the country.

Lord Glendonbrook commented:

“It was a great pleasure to open the suite and to create this bursary for the many talented and ambitious students at London Design and Engineering UTC.

“The aviation sector needs a pipeline of young talent more than ever and this exceptional UTC is a huge asset to London City Airport and companies throughout the sector.

“I look forward to seeing the bursary students thrive.”

Chief Executive of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust Kate Ambrosi commented:

“The UTC programme has, over the last 16 years, successfully progressed thousands of young people into fulfilling careers

”Yet that would not have been possible without the steadfast and enthusiastic support of philanthropists and leaders such as Lord Glendonbrook.

“This bursary programme is another enormously generous and inventive contribution by Lord Glendonbrook and the foundation, which will prepare young people for work and help employers meet skills needs.”

Principal and CEO of London Design and Engineering UTC Geoffrey Fowler commented:

“This generous support from The Sir Michael Bishop Foundation will open doors for our students and create life-changing opportunities in aviation. The new bursary programme will inspire the next generation of pilots, engineers and industry leaders, while helping talented young people from all backgrounds achieve their ambitions. We are immensely grateful to Lord Glendonbrook for his belief in our students and the power of technical education.”

UTC students will have the chance to earn their wings thanks to new bursary programme

A generous bursary will give students at a Newham UTC the chance to earn their wings and progress to becoming pilots or to other aviation industry pathways.

The Sir Michael Bishop Foundation, led by former airline boss Sir Michael Bishop (now Lord Glendonbrook), has created a £125,000 bursary programme for students at London Design and Engineering UTC.

The funding will provide students with a broad sweep of support, including:

  • Membership for all the UTC’s aviation students of the Air League, a charity aimed at supporting young people into that sector.
  • Life-changing bursaries for flying lessons for students who demonstrate exceptional progress, resilience, and ambition.
  • Visits to the RAF museums and industry workshops with airlines, airports, and aerospace companies.

LDE UTC and the Baker Dearing Educational Trust opened the Sir Michael Bishop Foundation Aviation Suite on Tuesday 2 June.

With views over London City Airport, which Lord Glendonbrook championed, the students will be able to access cutting-edge equipment in the suite, including an industry-standard flight simulator.

Lords Glendonbrook (at the controls) and Baker at the flight simulator.

The new bursaries have been made possible by this enormously kind gift from Lord Glendonbrook, who created the Michael Bishop Foundation to pursue his extensive philanthropic interests, funding numerous causes in education, the arts and healthcare.

Reflecting his strong belief in equipping young people to realise their full potential, the foundation backed the Baker Dearing Educational Trust in developing University Technical Colleges, including the London Design and Engineering UTC, appropriately situated opposite City Airport and offering aviation as a specialism.

Social mobility and youth employment to benefit

The bursary will open up new aviation career pathways for the University Technical College’s students and provide a strong source of motivation to attend school and achieve.

By providing real-world experiences, the programme will drive students’ progress towards careers in aviation, engineering, and aerospace. For example, the substantial number of flying hours will help students work towards a private pilot’s licence.

The bursaries will also be a boon for social mobility in Newham, which has one of the highest child poverty rates in London, by giving young people, many of whom are from low-income backgrounds, opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.

This is absolutely vital after the Office for National Statistics estimated more than one million young people in the UK are now out of education, employment or training.

‘Exceptional’ UTC praised by Ofsted for employer links

The UTC delivers for students aged 13 to 19 a specialist technical education curriculum that focuses on key local industry areas, including aviation, and students regularly interact with a variety of local and national employers, including London City Airport, BA City Flyer, Costain, Skanska and Thames Water.

These “excellent” links with local and national employers were praised in a recent report into the school by Ofsted.

The government watchdog gave LDE UTC ‘exceptional’, the highest grade, in five out of seven categories – placing it among the best schools in the country.

Lord Glendonbrook commented:

“It was a great pleasure to open the suite and to create this bursary for the many talented and ambitious students at London Design and Engineering UTC.

“The aviation sector needs a pipeline of young talent more than ever and this exceptional UTC is a huge asset to London City Airport and companies throughout the sector.

“I look forward to seeing the bursary students thrive.”

Chief Executive of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust Kate Ambrosi commented:

“The UTC programme has, over the last 16 years, successfully progressed thousands of young people into fulfilling careers

”Yet that would not have been possible without the steadfast and enthusiastic support of philanthropists and leaders such as Lord Glendonbrook.

“This bursary programme is another enormously generous and inventive contribution by Lord Glendonbrook and the foundation, which will prepare young people for work and help employers meet skills needs.”

Principal and CEO of London Design and Engineering UTC Geoffrey Fowler commented:

“This generous support from The Sir Michael Bishop Foundation will open doors for our students and create life-changing opportunities in aviation. The new bursary programme will inspire the next generation of pilots, engineers and industry leaders, while helping talented young people from all backgrounds achieve their ambitions. We are immensely grateful to Lord Glendonbrook for his belief in our students and the power of technical education.”

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