Aviation academy to expand
26.11.07
Plans to help train a new generation of world class engineers in the North-East have been given a £1.7m boost. The region's aviation academy, based at Newcastle Airport, will start work on a £3.2m expansion after gaining funding from regional development agency One NorthEast.
The Newcastle Aviation Academy was opened 4 years ago at a cost of £1.7m. It now plans to spend almost twice as much in order to fund a big expansion that will enable it to take on more students and improve its facilities.
The Academy is based between two sites, an Aeronautical Engineering workshop at Newcastle College and an aircraft hangar in Newcastle Airport, which has a fully functional Boeing 737 jet plane on site. The expansion will create a regional facility and 'one stop shop' for aviation training as well as a further 1500sqm of training space, which will include an additional hangar for aircraft refurbishment.
Work can now start on the expansion after the application for £1.7m worth of investment from One NorthEast was successful. The Learning and Skills Council North East and Newcastle College also provided funding.
The Academy is currently working at full capacity, with students getting a Foundation Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. The students can progress to Kingston University in Surrey to complete a BSc Honours Degree.
The qualification carries students from GCSE to first and national diploma through to foundation degree, developing a centre of international standing in the aviation industry. The academy has proved a great success, with 93% of graduates finding employment in the aviation industry.
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