North Somerset students take airport challenge

Twenty students from Wyvern School in Weston-super-Mare will find themselves tackling the challenges facing their local airport on Friday (5 June) when they visit Bristol International as part of a Young Enterprise South West (YESW) Master Class.

The students will spend the day at the airport working with staff from across the organisation on a range of challenges, all focused on providing a top class customer experience, or ‘wow factor’. Departments as diverse as the Rescue and Fire-fighting Service, Customer Services and Car Parks will set tasks specific to their area, and the students will be working against the clock to come up with practical solutions. In addition, some of the airport staff are studying for National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), so working as facilitators for the students will give them the opportunity to put new skills into practice. The students have volunteered to take part in the session, which has been funded by Bristol International. In the course of the day they will get to work with adult role models in a workplace environment, learn team working skills, and experience working to a deadline – at the same time linking to Key Stage 4 within the National Curriculum. At the end of the day, each group will present their conclusions to a panel including airport Chief Executive, Robert Sinclair. YESW operates through support from the business community and the Government, and takes an active role in building a better motivated, educated and enterprising workforce, while at the same time making a real difference to the existing lives and future potential of young people. Gemma Owen, Development Manager for Young Enterprise South West, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience of how a business like Bristol International Airport operates. It is often difficult for businesses to be able to afford to take time out to spend with students but this is vital in order to provide positive role models and career aspirations for the future workforce. We are extremely grateful to Bristol International Airport for supporting YESW in enabling students to gain a useful insight into the working world.” Jacqui Mills, Community Projects Manager at Bristol International Airport, said: “The students will provide fresh perspectives on the passenger experience, helping us to ensure we are meeting the needs of tomorrow’s travellers.”