Three young people from across Liverpool city region are starting their apprenticeships at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) has recurred three new apprentices to its team.

Jack Boyce, Luke Whitehead and Sean Hughes will be joining LJLA where business is once again growing as the aviation sector emerges from the pandemic – one of the biggest crises the industry has ever suffered.

The apprenticeship programme is a key part of the airport’s wider Community Programme that helps to make a difference to the lives of communities across Liverpool city region and gives young local people the skills to develop a career.

By combining work at the airport alongside their college studies over the next four years, apprentices bring fresh ideas and new young talent into the business. The three successful individuals were selected from a number of applicants keen to seek a career at the Airport.

BSM engineering apprentice Luke Whitehead, aged 19, from Bootle and airfield ground lighting engineering apprentice Jack Boyce, aged 16, from Aintree, will both be undertaking a mechatronics maintenance technician course at Riverside College in Halton.

Finance apprentice Sean Hughes, aged 18, from Widnes, will be undertaking an Association of Accounting Technicians Course Level 2 with online specialist Kaplan.

The airport has been a long-time advocate of apprenticeships, recognising the benefit to young people looking for their first step into the world of work and for the business in being able to nurture and develop high calibre employees.

Many former apprentices have subsequently gone on to full time permanent positions and have developed successful careers at LJLA.

Carol Dutton, LJLA’s HR and community director said: “After the challenges of the past 18 months, we are really excited about being able to restart our apprenticeship programme and welcome our three new apprentices to the airport.

“This important scheme is a fantastic opportunity and gives young people the skills to develop a career here at the airport, whilst they in turn will no doubt bring fresh ideas and make an important contribution to airport operations.”

Jayne Smith, head of skills and enterprise at Riverside College, added: “The apprenticeship programme is an ideal way to train employees by combining on and off the job training, and we are pleased to be supporting these new apprentices as they start their career journey at the airport.”