easyJet extends Amy Johnson initiative to encourage female engineers

easyJet has extended its Amy Johnson initiative by setting itself the target of filling half of the 14 places in its 2017 Aeronautical Engineering Apprenticeship intake with women.

The apprenticeship programme is in partnership with Resource Group and its Aviation Maintenance Training Division, with successful candidates due to commence the two-year training course in November 2017.

The first 10 months of the apprenticeship will provide accredited training both in the classroom and practical training at LRTT at the Cotswold Airport. This is followed by sixteen months of on the job training for easyJet at both Luton and Gatwick.

At the end of their programme, apprentices will graduate with recognised qualifications and the experience and skills needed to accelerate their career. A permanent role with a package up to £30,000 is available to those who are successful.

The carrier employs 230 engineers to maintain the airline’s fleet of over 270 Airbus aircraft, but just 5% of those working in easyJet's engineering department are female.

Aidan Kearney, Head of Maintenance Operations at easyJet, said, “At easyJet, we value diversity and so we are delighted to be extending the successful Amy Johnson initiative to cover our engineering apprenticeship recruitment. A career as an Aeronautical Engineer is interesting and rewarding and we want more women to bring their skills to the profession.

“An apprenticeship at easyJet offers a great career route into the industry. It allows apprentices to learn and gain qualifications on the job so they can put new knowledge and skills into practise every day.”

easyJet’s print advertising for the scheme features visual images of a female engineer and it is hoped this will encourage more women to pursue careers in what is a traditionally male dominated profession.

Amy Johnson, like many aviation pioneers, was also an engineer – she became the first British woman to obtain a ground engineers’ ‘C’ license and was President of the Woman’s Engineering Society.