The two-year scheme will allow students to experience all elements of airport operations, offering a permanent job upon the course’s completion.
"There really are few working environments that offer the excitement and variation an airport does, and as one of the UK’s largest airports, Manchester is a fantastic place to be immersed in the world of aviation operations,” said managing director Chris Woodroofe.
Developed as part of the airport’s commitment to deliver skills training across the North West, the apprenticeship will be equivalent to a foundation year or the first year of an undergraduate degree.
Students will undergo workplace training, as well as theoretical learning at the airport’s academy, completing four rotational placements in landside terminal operations, aircraft operations, ground handling and runway management.
The scheme, which will be trialled at Manchester airport before being potentially rolled out to Stansted and East Midlands airports, was welcomed by politicians from all sides.
Conservative MP Baroness Vere, the aviation minister, said the scheme would open “this industry up even more for those who may not have otherwise considered the sector as a viable option”, while Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said he was “delighted” by the news.
Education minister Robert Alfon also hailed the scheme as a "fantastic opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to take flight to a great career, gaining a huge variety of new skills across different roles while gaining a debt-free qualification."
The announcement comes amid the government’s plans to scrap level 3 travel and tourism qualifications from 2025. The move has attracted widespread criticism throughout travel, with the industry worried it will exacerbate ongoing recruitment issues and talent drain.
