First look inside £15.4m headquarters of Air and Space Institute in Newark
The £15.4m headquarters for the Air and Space Institute at Newark has been officially opened. It is home to an A320 Neo aircraft, flight simulators, the latest aircraft engineering equipment and a virtual reality training suite. The site has everything needed to prepare young people for careers in the industry, such as pilots, aircraft, space and software engineers, as well as ground and cabin crew.
Following the latest September intake, there are now around 200 students studying at the facility on a full-time basis, and this is expected to double over the next three years. As part of their studies, students also take part in a range of activities, such as flight lessons out of Nottingham City Airport.
During the launch event on Friday, September 27, more than a hundred people were invited to the new premises to learn more about the institute and the opportunities it was creating. Mark Locking, Lincoln College Group Principal and CEO, said: "It makes us really proud, this has been six or seven years in the making, so to move forward with what was at the start of things a defence pathway into aviation and then into space, from traditional classroom environments to what we have here today, is just the most amazing opportunity for students."
He continued: "It's great for aviation and space and we are going to really upskill our young people and adults. For Newark and Sherwood, what we are seeing is children and parents reimagining what education can be."
Mr Locking explained that the number of people staying in Newark for education is higher than it was ten years ago, and this new school is encouraging people to the area to study instead of places like Nottingham. Some students at the Air and Space Institute are commuting from Nottingham, Leciester and even parts of Lincolnshire like Skegness.
He added: "For us it is about aviation and space, but what it does for people's aspirations in the town and the people of Newark and Sherwood." At the heart of it all there is a huge aircraft which is a unique educational tool for the students.
Jay Shah, 16, has recently started his Level Three Civil Pilot course at the site. Regarding the plane, he said: "I didn't know until the first open day that there was a massive plane inside. I came in and my jaw just dropped to the floor, it's just amazing that they fitted a plane inside a building that we can study in and it makes it so much better."
The student from Leicester continued: "I've been here about a month now and I'm enjoying it, I've always wanted to be a pilot since I was young and then I saw this college and read about the opportunities it created. It opened my eyes and helped me follow my dream."
As part of his course, Jay will be able to take flying lessons. He explained: "I'm really excited, I'm looking forward to it. I would love to work at East Midlands Airport one day and work my way up to a senior first captain."
Also in attendance for the launch day was the Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward. She stated: "I have watched this being built over the months and came to visit it when it was a building site.
"Now I've seen the students today and the excitement that they have to be part of this brilliant project and the courses, but most importantly the opportunities that it offers. Space and aviation are fields which are really difficult to break into and what this does is provide to young people not just in Newark but right across our region and beyond to get into the sector with the education and the courses they need."
She continued: "I think this is going to be well known around the Newark area, but also right across the country." All of the courses have been developed with big organisations like the Royal Air Force and companies like Rolls-Royce so that students are taught the skills and equipment they will be using once they work in the sector.