Heathrow Local Labour Strategy
February 2007
Phase II (draft)
Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 2
2 Background ................................................................................................. 4
3 Defining the Priority Area ........................................................................... 8
4 An Overview of Airport Employment ........................................................ 9
5 An Overview of Heathrow’s Local Labour Market.................................. 12
6 Objectives, Goals and Strategies ............................................................ 15
7 Measurement ............................................................................................. 21
Appendix 1 – Tables .................................................................................... 22
Appendix 2 – Maps ...................................................................................... 24
1
1 Introduction
Heathrow is being transformed. T5 opens in March 2008, increasing the
airport’s capacity from 70 million to 90 - 95 million passengers a year by 2020.
BAA plans to open the first phase of Heathrow East, a new terminal that will
eventually replace T1 and T2, in 2012. 60 million passengers a year – two
thirds of Heathrow’s throughput - will pass through those new terminals, with
substantial improvements also planned for T3 and T4. But while buildings will
shape our future, it is people who will make Heathrow great.
Heathrow’s jobs are hugely important to the local economy. Of the 72,000
staff who work at this, the largest employment site in the UK, some 45% over 30,000 people - live in the five boroughs of Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow,
Slough and Spelthorne. That means that, within those boroughs, 1 in 15 of all
people in employment works at Heathrow. And, of course, many thousands
more are employed by off-site, airport-related companies or by major
construction programmes like T5.
Our objective for this Local Labour Strategy is simple: to increase the
proportion of airport staff living in the five boroughs to 50% by 2012.
BAA believes that a local workforce is important for two reasons:
 It optimises the economic benefits generated by Heathrow in areas that
tend also to experience the disadvantages created by an international
airport.
 A local workforce is a more sustainable workforce: people living close
to Heathrow are more likely to use public transport to travel to work
than those living further afield.
We face some challenges.
 Skill levels in some communities around Heathrow are relatively low,
yet the airport’s skill requirements are increasing.
 The labour market is tight, and some of those who are available for
work do not hold the skills required by airport employers.
 Heathrow employs relatively few young people, yet that segment of the
local population is expected to grow.
 Competition for labour is set to increase with major developments such
as the Olympics, Stratford City, Kings Cross and the operational
requirements of White City and the Olympics.
Those challenges are reflected in the two goals that underpin our objective:

Maximise the supply of local labour. That means working with
partners to help unemployed and economically inactive residents to
access airport employment. And it means raising awareness among
local students of the range and scope of Heathrow’s jobs so that we
can help to develop the airport’s future workforce.

Build airport careers. We want to provide high-quality training
opportunities so that those who work at Heathrow can build a career
2
here while also meeting the evolving skill needs of airport employers.
BAA already manages training programmes that are providing
nationally-recognised qualifications for many airport staff.
The
challenge is to extend those programmes into new sectors and expand
the range of qualifications on offer.
The two goals are linked. Our aim is to provide an integrated approach to
employment and training, with local residents who access airport jobs also
having the opportunity to enhance their skills and careers once in work. As
well as improving opportunities for local residents, this strategy offers benefits
to airport employers, with the prospect of a more highly-skilled, productive
workforce and improved retention rates.
Figure 1 – the Phase II Model
Professional/
managerial
Skilled
Elementary/
semi-skilled
3
Workforce Development
Education and Pre-employment
Airport
employment
2 Background
The Phase I Local Labour Strategy
During the Terminal 5 public inquiry, BAA committed to invest £1.5m over a
ten year period to ensure that residents closest to Heathrow benefit from the
education, training and employment opportunities created by our airport
investment.
In 2002, we developed a Phase I Local Labour Strategy in consultation with
partners and stakeholders. The Phase I Strategy focuses on the construction
sector, identifying a range of ways in which BAA’s capital programme at
Heathrow can create education, employment, training and business
opportunities within the five boroughs closest to the airport: Ealing, Hillingdon,
Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne.
In September 2002, BAA and London West Learning and Skills Council
established the Heathrow Employment Forum to oversee and co-ordinate
delivery of the Phase I Strategy. Bringing together airport employers, key
public agencies, Brunel University and CITB – Construction Skills, the Forum
has made substantial progress since its inception.
Key achievements of the Phase I strategy include:

The creation of a new construction training network, with four facilities
offering training to 14 to 16 year olds and a fifth, the Heathrow
Construction Training Centre, providing around 80 construction
apprenticeships each year.

Schemes with Heathrow’s construction companies to extend
apprenticeship opportunities to young people within the five priority
boroughs.

A successful On Site Assessment and Training programme (OSAT)
that has helped over 1,000 construction workers on T5 to gain NVQs at
Level 2.

The establishment of the T5 Workplace Co-ordinator, who works with
local organisations to help people from a range of disadvantaged
groups to access employment. Launched in September 2004, 200
people had gained jobs by January 2007.

The T5 bursary scheme, which gives financial support and paid work
experience to five young people each year. Thirteen bursaries have
been awarded.

Annual Heathrow Meet the Buyers events that give local companies
the chance to sell their goods and services to major buyers, including
construction companies on T5 and across Heathrow.
4

The creation of T5 curriculum resource packs for use in local schools.

The provision of financial and in-kind support to help 15 local schools
gain specialist status under a government programme that helps each
school attract around £500,000 of further investment.
Full details of the Forum’s achievements can be found in Heathrow
Employment Forum News, available electronically at www.heathrowforum.org
The Phase I strategy will continue to operate in parallel with this Phase II
strategy, harnessing the local opportunities presented by BAA’s capital
investment plan for Heathrow. The plan totals £6.2 billion over the period
2006/07 to 2015/16 and includes: the completion of Terminal 5, which opens
in March 2008; the closure of Terminal 2 and the Queen’s Building; the
proposed development of a new terminal, Heathrow East, capable of handling
30 million passengers and replacing the capacity currently provided by
Terminals 1 and 2; and the modification and renovation of Terminals 3 and 4.
The Phase II Strategy – the Challenge
Heathrow is the UK’s largest employment site, with 73000 staff working for
over 320 on-site companies and an estimated 40,000 staff working in airportrelated industries outside the airport boundary. Many of Heathrow’s staff are
local residents, with almost half living in the five boroughs that lie closest to
the airport. Yet the proportion of airport staff living locally has declined over
the last 30 years. We want to reverse that trend.
Whilst the Phase I Local Labour Strategy focuses on the construction sector,
the Phase II strategy has a much broader remit. Its aim is to harness the
opportunities offered by the co-location of Heathrow’s many employers and
staff by putting in place education, employment and training programmes that
maximise the local benefits of the airport operation. As BAA employs around
6% of airport staff, collaboration with other airport companies will be key to the
strategy’s success.
The Phase II Strategy has three target audiences.

Prospective employees, including school pupils who wish to find out
more about the employment and training opportunities offered by
Heathrow, and disadvantaged groups for whom the airport represents
a potential step into employment and in-work training.

The airport’s workforce. The development of training programmes and
qualifications for Heathrow’s staff is a key ingredient of the Phase II
Strategy.
5

Employers. The Phase II Strategy offers airport companies the
opportunity to engage in programmes that help to attract, retain and
develop a workforce that can deliver excellent service and improve
productivity.
The strategy has been informed by a number of studies and surveys that have
been undertaken by BAA and its partners in recent years:

The 2004 Heathrow Airport Employment Survey (BAA), which provides
a detailed analysis of the airport’s employment profile, including data
on the residency of Heathrow staff.

The 2006 Heathrow Staff Survey, which provides a snapshot of
Heathrow’s current employment base.

“Heathrow: Report on the Recruitment Environment and Future Skills
Requirements” October 2005 (commissioned by London West Learning
and Skills Council and BAA and undertaken by Exemplas).

“Heathrow Local Labour Strategy: Options Appraisal” September 2004
(commissioned by London West Learning and Skills Council and BAA
and undertaken by WM Enterprise Consultants).

“Heathrow: A Resourcing Strategy for the Next Ten Years” 2004 (BAA
internal document).

“Heathrow Talking to the World – A Languages Audit” May 2005
(commissioned by London West Learning and Skills Council and
undertaken by the Regional Language Network, London and CILT, the
National Centre for Languages).
Strategy Context
At a national level, this strategy reflects some of the key components of the
Department for Local Government and Communities’ “Sustainable
Communities: People, Places and Prosperity” five year plan (2005), which
defines sustainable communities as places that offer people:





a decent home they can afford
a community in which they want to live and work
the chance to develop their skills and interests
access to jobs and excellent services; and
the chance to get engaged in their community and make a difference
This strategy seeks to promote the sustainable relationship between
Heathrow and its local area by ensuring that residents within Heathrow’s
neighbouring boroughs are able to share in the economic benefits and
opportunities generated by the airport.
6
At a regional level, the strategy complements the London Plan and London
Development Agency’s Regional Economic Strategy (RES), “Sustaining
Success” (2005), contributing in particular to that strategy’s Investment in
People objectives: tackle barriers to unemployment; reduce disparities in
labour market outcomes between groups; and address the impacts of
concentrations of disadvantage.
It complements, too, the skills and
employment targets set out in the South East of England Development
Agency’s RES (2006).
More locally, the strategy is aligned with the “Skills for Growth” objectives
established in the West London Economic Development Strategy (2004), and
to the economic development strategies and/or Local Area Agreement targets
of neighbouring local authorities.
7
3 Defining the Priority Area
This strategy retains the priority area that was identified within the Phase I
Local Labour Strategy, and which also forms the priority area for BAA
Heathrow’s wider economic development activity. The area comprises the
local authorities of Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne.
These boroughs have been identified for the following reasons:

The five boroughs lie closest to Heathrow and are home to an
estimated 45% of Heathrow’s workforce1. As many areas within the
five boroughs enjoy strong public transport links with Heathrow,
residents from the priority area are more likely to use sustainable
transport modes to access airport employment.

The analysis provided in Part 4 of this strategy demonstrates that each
borough contains areas of relatively high economic inactivity, high
unemployment and low skills. Some of these (such as “Heathrow City”
on the airport’s north-eastern and eastern periphery) are priority areas
for other agencies in which local labour activities linked to Heathrow
can make a real impact.

The boroughs are all exposed to the environmental impact of the
Heathrow operation. It is therefore appropriate that this strategy should
help them to capitalise on the education, employment and training
opportunities presented by the airport.
Figure 2: the priority area
1
Source – 2004 Heathrow Airport Employment Survey
8
4 An Overview of Airport Employment
Heathrow is the UK’s largest employment site…
Excluding the construction workforce, Heathrow currently employs some
73,000 staff2, with almost two thirds working for airlines and their handling
agents:
Figure 3: Heathrow staff by category of employer
Category of Employer
Number of
Companies
Airlines/Airline Handling Agents
Government Services
BAA
Catering and Retail
Other Public Passenger
Services
Cargo/Freight/Courier Services
Building and Maintenance
Contractors
Other Companies
Totals
82
8
1
97
32
Employees % of Heathrow
Staff
45,055
62%
3,074
4%
4,000
6%
7,609
10%
2,133
3%
14
33
1,972
2,051
3%
3%
59
326
6,787
72,681
9%
100
…with an increasingly productive workforce
Productivity at Heathrow is measured by the ratio of passengers to staff. In
1971/72, Heathrow handled 16.7 million passengers and employed 50,400
staff, a ratio of 331:1. Currently, the ratio is around 1000:1, rising to an
estimated 1500:1 by 2016. That means that, despite projected passenger
growth of almost 30% between 2006/07 and 2015/16, the number of staff
employed at Heathrow may be lower by 2016 than it is today. Increased
productivity is the result, broadly, of two factors: increased automation and
more efficient labour utilisation. Both have implications for airport skills.
Automation requires staff with IT, technical and maintenance skills. Labour
efficiencies point towards flatter management structures, with managers
operating a broader span of control across a greater number of staff, and
therefore place an increasing emphasis on leadership and coaching skills,
and on decision making, problem solving and teamwork among staff.
Relatively few young people work at Heathrow
Nationally, people aged 16 to 24 account for 14% of the workforce3. At
Heathrow, the figure is 7% [Table 1], though that proportion varies markedly in
different sectors (from 32% in catering and retail to 3% among airlines/airline
2
3
Source: 2006 Heathrow Staff Survey
Source: Nomis, May 2006
9
handlers). GLA forecasts indicate that this segment of the resident population
will increase by 9% between 2001 and 2016 across Ealing, Hillingdon and
Hounslow, whilst the population aged 26 to 44 (which contributes 55% of
Heathrow’s workforce) will decline.
The diversity of Heathrow’s workforce reflects that of the local
population…
An estimated 34% of Heathrow’s workforce are drawn from black and minority
ethnic (and particularly Indian and other Asian) communities [Table 2], which
broadly reflects the profile of Heathrow’s neighbouring boroughs.
…with a huge range of languages spoken by airport staff
The “Heathrow Talking to Our World” report undertook a detailed analysis of
the linguistic abilities and needs of staff within four of Heathrow’s largest
companies. The report highlights the exceptional diversity of the companies’
workforces, with 45 languages being spoken within a sample of 150 staff, and
more staff having Punjabi as a first language than English. The report also
indicates a high demand among airport staff for language training, with
evident demand for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
courses, but strong interest, too, in European languages, Japanese and
Arabic [Table 3]. The importance of inter-cultural training is also emphasised.
Recruitment and retention are important issues for many airport
employers…
Research commissioned in 2005 by BAA and London West Learning and
Skills Council into the airport’s recruitment and training environment identified
a number of common issues for airport employers. Many struggle to recruit
suitable candidates when vacancies arise, with the result that some are
operating below optimal headcount. In some sectors, the problem is
aggravated by high turnover rates. Airport security procedures, which require
various checks to be undertaken of prospective staff, create an additional
recruitment hurdle.
The 2004 Heathrow Employment Survey indicates that the airport has a
relatively stable workforce, with over 70% of staff having worked for their
current employer for over 3 years. Yet the figure is much lower in some
sectors, falling to 39% in the case of retail and catering and to just over 50%
in building and maintenance [Table 4].
…who also recognise the value of training and workforce development
The same research identified that most employers at Heathrow regard training
as essential. The majority of training is delivered internally, with low take-up
of publicly funded programmes (such as apprenticeships and NVQs). There
is little “pooling” amongst employers in the commissioning and delivery of
training, even in areas such as Health and Safety that are common to many
companies, yet most employers expressed an interest in using shared training
10
programmes and facilities.
In relation to existing and projected skill
requirements, employers’ priority areas include customer service, leadership
and management, induction, English for speakers of other languages and IT.
Finally, some major opportunities and challenges lie ahead
Terminal 5 (T5), Europe’s largest construction project, opens in March 2008.
Occupied by British Airways, T5 will provide capacity for 30 million
passengers per annum and enable Heathrow’s passenger throughput to
increase from 67.4 million in 2006/07 to 87 million in 2015/16 (assuming
Heathrow continues to operate within existing limits). The job and training
opportunities created by T5 present the opportunity for BAA and its partners
to extend employment and skills programmes into new areas.
BAA has also submitted a planning application for the development of a new
terminal, Heathrow East, that would eventually replace the passenger
capacity currently provided by Terminals 1 and 2. The construction of the
new terminal will enable BAA to replicate and extend some of the successful
projects it has initiated as part of the Phase I Local Labour Strategy, or to
develop new projects.
Finally, Heathrow will provide the international gateway to the 2012 London
Olympics, with opportunities for BAA and its partners to put in place customer
service programmes that ensure visitors have an excellent first impression of
the capital.
11
5 An Overview of Heathrow’s Local Labour Market
Heathrow is a significant employer of local people…
Heathrow draws an estimated 45% of its staff – around 32,000 people - from
the five boroughs of Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Slough and Spelthorne that
form the priority area for this strategy4. The boroughs have a combined
population of almost 1 million and cover an area of 31,000 hectares.
Figure 4: % of airport staff in each priority borough
Airport staff who live in the five boroughs have a significantly higher
propensity to use public transport for their journeys to and from work than
those living further afield [Table 5].
Those involved in lower-skilled
occupations tend to live closest to the airport, but many staff employed in
skilled, professional and managerial occupations also live within the priority
area. Analysis of the 2001 Census demonstrates the airport’s impact on
employment patterns around Heathrow, with a significant proportion of local
people employed in transport, storage and communication; in hospitality; and
in retail [Maps 1, 2, 3].
…but the proportion of local staff has declined
The number of staff living in the five boroughs is the same today as in 1976,
yet the airport’s employment base has grown from 51,000 to 73,000 over the
same period. The proportion of airport staff living within the five boroughs has
therefore declined from 61% to 45%.
4
Source: 2004 Heathrow Airport Employment Survey
12
Heathrow operates in a generally tight labour market…
Labour demand outstrips supply across the five boroughs by a ratio of 1.2 : 1,
with an estimated 585,000 jobs but only 498,000 residents who are either
employed or actively seeking work. The mismatch is most stark in Hillingdon,
which has 197,000 jobs (many at Heathrow) but only 128,000 economically
active residents – a ratio of 1.5 : 15.
…with generally low unemployment rates…
The proportion of working-age people claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance (JSA)
within the five boroughs is generally low, ranging from 1.4% in Spelthorne to
3% in Ealing (May 2006)6 against averages for London, the South East and
Great Britain of 3.4%, 1.7% and 2.6% respectively. Pockets of higher
unemployment do exist, particularly in the Heathrow City area, with Southall
Broadway having a JSA claimant rate of 4.6%.
Figure 5: The Heathrow City area
…but economic inactivity is more prevalent in some areas…
Economic inactivity relates to people who are neither in work nor currently
seeking employment. It includes people who are not working for reasons of
sickness or disability, those who are looking after a home, retired people and
students. Typically within the five boroughs, around one third of economically
inactive people want a job – significantly higher than the Great Britain average
5
6
Source: Nomis, May 2006
Source: Nomis, claimant count, May 2006
13
of 24%. The number of people within that category substantially outweighs the
number of people claiming JSA.
2001 Census data reveals that economic inactivity rates in some areas close
to Heathrow are higher than regional and national averages [Map 4],
particularly in Heathrow City.
…and a broad correlation exists between economic inactivity and
ethnicity
Some of Heathrow’s neighbouring communities are among the most diverse
in the country, with Southall Broadway having a white British population of just
12% in 2001 [Map 5]. Local authorities and schools around Heathrow indicate
that EU enlargement has led to a significant increase in Eastern European
populations within the five boroughs in recent years.
Generally, those areas with significant black and minority ethnic communities
tend to experience high levels of economic inactivity. The reasons are
complex, but in supporting employment projects in those areas BAA has
identified three particular barriers that prevent residents from accessing
airport employment:



a shortage of the English language skills that are required by all
customer-facing airport jobs;
poor interview techniques and awareness of airport job opportunities;
and
the difficulty faced by some residents in securing the five years’
references required as part of Heathrow’s airside security regime.
Finally, low qualification rates prevail in some areas
The qualification levels of those aged 16 to 74 vary considerably across the
five boroughs, but there are areas to the north and south of the airport, and in
Slough, in which a significant proportion of the population is qualified below
NVQ Level 2 (equivalent to five A* to C GCSEs) [Map 6]. Within 18 of the
priority area’s 92 wards, the proportion of people within that category is
substantially higher (more than five percentage points) than the London
average of 21%, rising as high as 31% in Slough’s Britwell ward. Similarly, in
many wards close to Heathrow, a relatively low proportion of the population is
qualified at degree level or above [Map 7].
Although improving, educational attainment rates within some schools close
to Heathrow lag behind regional and national averages7. Anecdotally,
awareness among local school pupils of the airport’s broad employment offer
is often limited to the “visible” roles, with lower awareness of professional,
managerial and technical jobs, which some stakeholders suggest serves to
depress aspiration levels.
7
Source: DfES performance tables
14
6 Objectives, Goals and Strategies
Objectives and Goals
BAA’s objective, as set out in the introduction, is to increase the proportion of
Heathrow staff who live in the five boroughs to 50% by 2012 by:


maximising the supply of local labour, and;
building airport careers.
In the case of Heathrow’s retail operation (see case study below),
programmes are already in place that provide the progression path from preemployment and education into airport employment that offers accredited
training.
BAA has recently replicated the Retail Academy model by
developing an Aviation Academy that provides recruitment and training
services for airlines and other aviation-related companies at Heathrow.
Case Study – the Retail Academy
The Retail Academy, established by BAA in 2004, was established to help
airport retailers recruit, retain and develop staff whilst creating opportunities
for local residents. It provides an exemplary model for this Phase II strategy.
Within the Retail Academy, BAA has appointed two recruitment agencies that
provide a centralised service for airport retailers. Initiatives have been
developed that help unemployed and economically inactive residents to
access retail employment at Heathrow. Prospective staff are channelled
through the central recruitment service, which gives access to retail
opportunities across a range of employers. The agencies also provide a
referencing services that streamlines and speeds up the process of securing
an airport ID card .
Industry days help local school pupils to understand the airport’s working
environment and provide an insight into career opportunities within the retail
sector. Resource packs, which include information on airport retail, have
been distributed to all secondary schools within the five boroughs.
Once in work, retail employers and staff are able to access a range of
workforce development services. BAA’s retail apprenticeship, available to
staff aged between 16 and 24, provides a range of nationally recognised
qualifications at Levels 2 and 3. NVQs at Level 2 are also available to staff
aged over 25 as a result of “Train to Gain”, an LSC-sponsored programme
under which BAA is leading a consortium of training providers. A foundation
degree has been launched will give airport retail staff the chance to gain
higher-level qualifications.
The Retail Academy has generated various case studies whereby
unemployed residents have accessed work at Heathrow and subsequently
completed an apprenticeship programme. The Academy has also created
substantial benefits for airport retailers, with improved recruitment, retention
and skill levels.
15
Goal 1: Maximise the supply of local labour
Strategy 1.1 - Enhance opportunities for people aged 14 to 19 and in
higher education to understand, access and progress within careers at
Heathrow.
The overview of Heathrow and its local labour market highlights an apparent
paradox. Anecdotally, local schools and other stakeholders believe that the
supply of airport jobs serves to depress pupils’ aspirations; yet young people
are actually under-represented within the airport’s workforce. Data relating to
the destination of Year 11 school leavers also shows that, at the age of 16, a
very small proportion are entering employment that does not include formal
training, but that a more significant number are classified as NEETs – not in
education, employment or training.
It may be the case that young people at Heathrow tend to be drawn from a
handful of the most local secondary schools so that, though they form a small
proportion of the airport’s overall workforce, they account for a sizeable
proportion of each school’s annual leavers. It may also be the case that
young people are more highly represented in airport-related employment
based outside Heathrow’s boundary, since BAA’s data relates solely to on-site
employment. But whatever the reason, GCSE results in some schools close
to Heathrow are below local and national averages. The priority for BAA is
therefore to help and prepare young people to access good quality
employment and training opportunities at Heathrow.
Within this strategy, BAA will therefore pursue the following activities:

We will work with other employers to expand the number and range of
apprenticeships available at Heathrow so that more young people are
able to access good quality employment and training opportunities.

We will work with partners, particularly local education business
partnerships, to raise awareness among local school pupils of airport
apprenticeships, and of the range of jobs available at Heathrow.

We will also work with other airport employers and local education
business partnerships to ensure that the vocational curriculum for 14 to
19 year olds reflects the airport’s skill requirements. In particular, we
will explore how airport employers can contribute towards the
specialised diplomas that will be introduced from 2008.

We will work with local universities to explore ways in which airport
employers can add value to higher education programmes that are
relevant to Heathrow.
16
Strategy 1.2 - Develop airport-related programmes that help unemployed
and economically inactive local residents to access employment.
Within the generally buoyant labour market around Heathrow, BAA’s analysis
identifies areas (such as Heathrow City and parts of Slough) in which
unemployment and, in particular, economic inactivity rates are relatively high.
With some airport employers experiencing recruitment challenges, those
areas represent a potential pool of local labour – provided barriers to
employment can be effectively overcome.
BAA’s experience in supporting local employment projects suggests that short
pre-employment courses are effective for some residents, but many require
longer-term training support that is contextualised to the working environment.
The broad correlation between areas with high black and minority populations
and those with high levels of economic inactivity and unemployment indicates
that effective English language training programmes are key.
Heathrow City, which stands out in BAA’s analysis as an area that warrants
particular attention, is also a priority area for the London Development Agency
and the local authorities of Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow. BAA chairs the
Heathrow City Partnership, which is delivering economic regeneration projects
in 12 wards on the airport’s north eastern and eastern periphery, and is
directly involved in two of the Partnership’s flagship projects. This Phase II
Local Labour Strategy is aligned with the Partnership’s existing and emerging
priorities and programmes.
Many of those attending pre-employment programmes are, realistically, likely
to enter entry-level or semi-skilled airport important. A critical component of
this strategy is therefore the link between employment and ongoing training so
that those entering Heathrow’s workforce are able to enhance their skills and
career prospects.
BAA will:

Work with airport employers and recruitment agencies to provide costeffective, centralised recruitment services that improve access to the
local labour market and streamline the referencing process.

Work with partners to extend existing airport-related employment
projects to other sectors in order to improve access to a wider range of
jobs for unemployed and economically inactive local residents. We will
also assess whether new training facilities at Heathrow can help to
deliver pre-employment programmes.

Ensure that the airport’s skill requirements, particularly the English
language skills required by customer-facing roles, are reflected in basic
skills programmes delivered around Heathrow in order to enhance their
relevance to the workplace.
17

Help those who are gain an airport job to access accredited training in
order to improve their skills and career prospects (see Goal 2).
18
Goal 2 – Build airport careers
Strategy 2.1 - Provide training programmes at all levels that improve the
career prospects of airport staff and meet employers’ skill needs
The overview provided in sections 4 and 5 highlights a key local labour
challenge: the airport’s skill requirements are rising; yet qualification rates in
some of the wards closest to Heathrow are relatively low. BAA considers that
pre-employment activity has a part to play in redressing this imbalance, but
that workforce development programmes are critical.
As most staff
participating in such programmes will live close to the airport, this strategy has
evident benefits for local skill levels. The development of an effective training
offer that helps staff to enhance their qualifications and prospects will also
help to give the airport a competitive edge in the recruitment market.
The significant number of airport workers who do not have English as a first
language means that the provision of English language programmes is
important, particularly in helping those staff to access further training
opportunities. Inter-cultural awareness is also important, particularly for
airport managers, and is already being built into BAA’s existing training
programmes.
Research8 indicates a general willingness among airport employers to engage
in workforce development programmes, provided BAA plays a lead managing
and commissioning role. Airport employers are also clear that training should
be delivered close to the workplace in order to minimise disruption. BAA’s
own engineering apprenticeship has been operating for almost 30 years,
providing high-quality employment and training for young people from the
Heathrow area. More recently, we have successfully engaged other airport
companies in apprenticeships and NVQ programmes in the construction and
retail sectors and, with the launch in 2007 of the Aviation Academy, we are
extending the range of employers with whom we work.
A training infrastructure is already in place at Heathrow. BAA has secured
status as a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) from the Learning and
Skills Council, which has enabled it to create new training facilities across the
airport site, and to extend its current apprenticeship programmes into new
sectors such as customer service. BAA is also leading a consortium of local
training providers in delivering a “Train to Gain” programme that will allow
airport staff within certain sectors to gain a first Level 2 qualification –
equivalent to 5 good GCSEs.
Within the CoVE, BAA will:

Work with airport employers and training providers to develop new,
accredited training programmes at Levels 2 and 3, including advanced
apprenticeships, that meet employers’ skill needs.
“Heathrow: Report on the Recruitment Environment and Future Skills Requirements”
October 2005
8
19

Work with employers and higher education providers to develop further
Level 4 qualifications.

Ensure that the airport’s learning offer includes inter-cultural awareness
and language training provision, including English for Speakers of
Other Languages (ESOL) and foreign language programmes.

Promote the introduction of “skills passports” at Heathrow, which
enable airport employers and their staff to record and track training and
qualifications.
20
7 Measurement
BAA will measure the implementation of this strategy against the following
measures and targets:
Target
Increase the proportion of airport staff living in the five boroughs to 50% by 2012
Measures
Goal 1 – Maximise the supply of local
labour

Number of young people
participating in airport-related
education programmes.

Number of young people
progressing into apprenticeship
opportunities created by BAA.

Number of young people
accessing work placements
provided by BAA and its
employer partners.

Goal 2 – Build airport careers
Number of unemployed and
economically inactive residents
accessing airport employment as
a result of programmes
supported by BAA.
21

Number of airport employers
engages in accredited
vocational training.

Number of apprenticeship
placements provided or
facilitated by BAA working with
other airport employers and
training providers.

Number of airport staff gaining
accredited qualifications as a
result of programmes provided
by BAA and its training
partners.
Appendix 1 – Tables
All tables sources from 2004 Heathrow Airport Employment Survey unless
otherwise stated.
Table 1 – Age grouping of airport employees by category of employer
Age
16- 24
25 – 34
35 – 44
45 – 54
55 – 64
65 +
Airlines/
Airline
Handling
Agents
Government
Services
BAA
Catering
and
Retail
%
%
%
5.1
19.6
34.1
29.5
11.7
0
%
32.1
30.5
18.8
11.2
6.7
0.6
3.0
23.6
34.5
27.9
10.8
<0.5
3.7
23.7
29.9
29.0
13.5
<0.5
Other
Public
Passenger
Services
%
14.4
25.7
21.0
25.1
11.9
1.8
Cargo,
Freight
and
Courier
Services
%
11.5
20.7
29.5
22.5
14.7
1.1
Building and
Maintenance
Contractors
Other
Airport
Related
Companies
%
%
Table 2 – Ethnic Profile of Heathrow Staff
Ethnic Group
White
Asian - Indian
Asian - Pakistani
Asian - Bangladeshi
Asian - Chinese
Asian - Other
Black African
Black Caribbean
Other Black
%
65.5
10.6
2.4
2.0
0.5
15.1
1.9
1.1
0.9
22
8.6
25.9
24.0
24.3
16.4
0.9
12.8
20.1
20.6
20.3
17.3
8.8
Total
%
7.1
23.8
31.1
25.9
11.3
0.8
Table 3 – Language Training Requested by Heathrow staff
Source: Heathrow Talking to the World, March 2005
Table 4 – Length of time served with current employer
Length
of
Service
<1
year
1 to 3
years
>3
years
Airlines/
Airline
Handling
Agents
Government
Services
BAA
Catering
and
Retail
%
%
Other
Public
Passenger
Services
Building and
Maintenance
Contractors
Other
Airport
Related
Companies
Total
%
%
20.6
Cargo,
Freight
and
Courier
Services
%
12.6
15.8
22.7
%
11.5
6.7
15.0
%
14.4
%
28.4
%
11.3
25.3
17.1
33.0
25.2
16.2
31.4
22.0
16.1
82.0
59.7
68.4
38.6
54.2
71.1
52.8
55.3
72.3
Table 5 – Percentage of airport employees driving to work
Area of Residence
Hillingdon
Ealing
Hounslow
All Heathrow staff
% Driving
59
56
52
72
Disaggregated data not available for Spelthorne or Slough
23
Appendix 2 – Maps
All based on 2001 Census data.
Map 1
Map 2
24
Map 3
Map 4
25
Map 5
Map 6
M
26
Map 7
27