Harrison College Students Gain Valuable Skills with Airport Partnership
Students from Harrison College have completed a workplace challenge at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, when 16 individuals took on the task of re-imagining the inside of the terminal building.
Harrison College, the Doncaster-based specialist education provider which has a focus on work-based learning, has been working with the airport to help give students a taste of life in the aviation and travel sector.
As work progresses at pace towards the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, a significant workstream revolves around renovation of the terminal building, with architects on board looking at the space and how it can best be optimised for passengers.
Gemma Peebles, CEO at Harrison College, said: “It is such a valuable opportunity for our students to have access to a project of this profile and significance, right on their doorstep. The airport team have been very generous with their time, and the students have embraced the challenge with open arms.
“Harrison College works with many businesses and organisations to provide its students with real-world experience of a variety of workplaces. Our students were excited to take on this brief and came up with some really impressive ideas on how the airport should look and feel when it opens.”
Christian Foster, Director at FlyDoncaster, added: “We’ve been working on this initiative alongside the team at Harrison College for a number of months and our team were highly impressed with the professionalism and energy with which the students presented their ideas. We’ve invited them back to meet with our architects, so that they can gain further valuable experience of the work that goes on behind the scenes of reopening an airport of this scale.
“We’ve always said that this project is a huge opportunity for developing skills in Doncaster and wider South Yorkshire. This initiative is a great example of where we can gather insights from young people local to the area and get them excited about future job opportunities.”
Bosses at Doncaster Sheffield Airport have signalled their ambition to be a leading neuro-inclusive facility, which champions inclusivity and ensures that all airport users have access to the facilities they require for a comfortable experience.
Students from Harrison College looked at elements such as the airport interior look and feel; themed areas for visitors to relax; and branding of airport lounges and airside facilities.
Skills are a central focus to the work ongoing at the airport as the team gear-up towards critical milestones on the road to reopening. The team has also worked closely with other school, further education and higher education organisations, such as DN Colleges Group and Sheffield Hallam University in recent months, and has several initiatives underway that are helping to provide skills and experience training.
