Hundreds of students experience the aviation industry for the first time showing the sky’s the limit

Affinity, most known for being a trusted provider of aircraft supply and maintenance services for the first stages of the UK Military Flying Training System, has played a vital role to date in encouraging young people to pursue careers in aviation. Operating across the UK from RAF Barkston Heath, RAF Cranwell and RAF Valley, the company makes significant contributions to the UK’s military aviation sector.

Affinity and ASI launched the series of workshops at the start of the year for students who are currently studying on their L3 pilot and aviation operations and L3 aircraft engineering programmes. The sessions provided invaluable insight for the students, who were able to meet with representatives from Affinity who shared their knowledge and experiences. The workshops experienced high levels of engagement from both the students and industry experts, offering the opportunity for Affinity to contribute to helping develop the next generation of aviation experts.

Across all sessions there were large levels of participation, with approximately 60-80 students attending the first event at Newark College. The following four sessions took place at the Affinity premises at RAF Cranwell. The sessions included a CV workshop run by the Affinity HR team which gave the students guidance on how to craft a standout CV. The students then had the opportunity to hear the stories and ask career and industry specific questions from key members of the Affinity team including members of the Engineering, Delivery, Continuing Airworthiness Management, and Aviation Safety teams. After the series of speeches, the students took a tour of the aircraft hangar and offices, where they saw first-hand Affinity’s operations, learned a bit more about the aircraft Affinity service, and even got to view the cockpit of one of the Phenoms!

Speaking on the recent workshops, Ross Tarnowski, Assistant Principal Air & Space Institute and Engineering, Lincoln College Group, said:

“The recent workshops for our ASI students clearly demonstrate the value of a strong industry partnership through working with Affinity. For our students to be able to gain invaluable, first-hand experience of the aviation sector linked to their current studies provides a real opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours required in industry. The visits were excellent, giving a great insight to what Affinity do on a day-to-day basis. The ASI partnership with Affinity is also vital in developing the curricula that my team delivers, linking employer needs to educational programmes, to ensure that our students are best prepared for their future career goals in the aviation, aerospace or space sectors.”

Rachel Gale, Head of HR for Affinity, said:

"Working with outstanding academic institution like ASI Newark is key to nurturing the future talent for our industry. I have the pleasure of sitting on ASI’s Skills and Advisory Board, and working in partnership with them to create opportunities for both Affinity and ASI are incredibly rewarding."