Whether you are a teacher in a primary or secondary school, or lecturer in a college or university, the Careers in Aerospace website has lots of information to introduce you and your students to the world of aerospace and aviation. The sector has many roles which are particularly suited to those with an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects and Design and Technology. It also offers fantastic opportunities for young people who are hands-on with good practical skills or those who enjoy working with people and languages. The UK is home to the second largest aerospace industry in the world, and one of the world’s busiest airport hubs. There is sure to be something to capture the imagination!
Primary schools
It’s never too soon to start learning more about what careers are out there and we have a number of activities aimed at primary schools and children.
- Amy’s Aviation is our radio and Youtube series produced in partnership with Fun Kids Radio based around character Amy who loves planes and flying. Join Amy over three series as she learns about all aspects of aerospace engineering from paper planes to aircraft engines and satellites, to learning to fly and the history of British aerospace. All episodes are available to download free of charge or view online for free and can be used in classroom whiteboards. You can find this HERE!
- Cool Aeronautics is our flagship outreach programme for primary schools, sponsored by AAR. One-day events take place across the UK and beyond introducing children and teachers to the world of aerospace and aviation through inspiring talks from professionals, drama performances, interactive STEM workshops and more. To find out about events near you, please get in touch.
- Reach for the Sky is a booklet for children produced by the Yorkshire Air Museum in partnership with the Royal Aeronautical Society. Featuring the history of aircraft design, colouring-in and puzzles, it’s a great way to learn more about aerospace.
For more information, visit our 6-11 pages.
Secondary Schools and Colleges
Our activities for secondary schools include events, educational programmes and materials.
- Schools Build-a-Plane Challenge – our flagship programme supported by Boeing, six secondary schools around the UK have build light aircraft kits to Permit to Fly standards along with a programme of public engagement at air shows and exhibitions. With four build projects now successfully completed, look out for news! This programme has now ended, however, if you want information on how to create your own Build-a-Plane challenge please don’t hesitate to contact us.
- Falcon 2 Programme – following a successful pilot scheme, the Falcon 2 Programme is well under way, with the big buid phase beginning in September. Falcon 2 aims to make flight accessible for all through the creation of an accessible flight simulator which is being designed and built by 11-19 year olds.
- Careers Talks – Available online or in person, drop us an email if you are interested in one of our 30 minutes – 1 hour careers in aerospace and aviation talk, plus CV workshop. Suitable for students aged 14 and up.
- Project Altitude – Our outreach and careers day event for secondary school students aged 14 and up. To organise an event, or to learn more about it, please get in contact with our careers team.
- Careers in Aerospace & Aviation LIVE – for students interested in apprenticeship routes, aerospace employers are known for providing high quality apprenticeships at Craft, Advanced, Higher and Degree levels. Our annual autumn recruitment fair offers young people the chance to talk directly to employers about their opportunities and is free to attend. Head to our events tab for more information.
- Materials – our free schools poster aims to highlight the many people who help make a commercial short-haul flight happen, and resulting career pathways. From the design and manufacture, through to the maintenance, flying, air traffic control and operations support, there is something for everyone. Our Career Flightpath magazine is also free and provides in-depth information and interviews on various careers in aerospace and aviation from engineering and flying to operations and management, with lots of advice.
- Attendance at Careers Fairs & other events – if your school runs any careers-focused events, we would love to hear from you as we often attend and can deliver various specialist advice on entry routes into Aerospace and aviation.
For more information, please visit our 12-15 and 16-19 pages or contact us.
Air Shows
There are several large air shows around the UK which offer both spectacular flying displays and interactive STEM and Careers zones run by aerospace companies with a chance to meet their apprentices and graduates and learn more about the industry, The following air shows have a specific focus on schools and STEM and may have special offers or even free entry for teachers bringing student groups:
- Farnborough Air Show
- Royal International Air Tattoo
- Yeovilton Air Day
- RAF Scampton Air Show
Getting in touch
For more information please contact the Royal Aeronautical Society Careers team. In addition to our website, materials and outreach programmes we offer free impartial information, advice and guidance if you know of a young person who has specific questions such as which GCSE/equivalent or A Levels/equivalent subjects to choose, advice on applying for apprenticeships or university. We provide a free 1-2-1 careers advisory service at our London office by appointment only on MS Teams. For more information and resources to get started visit our Careers Service pages.
