LONDON, Dec. 12 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
* £750,000 awarded to projects encouraging youngpeople intocareersin the aviation sector
* Reach for the Sky ChallengeFundgoes to projects across the UK aiming to showcase career paths, boost skills and futureproof the aviation sector
* projects focus on getting young people from diverse backgrounds into aviation,creatingaccess to opportunityin high-skilled jobs
Projects to inspire the next generation ofaviators across the UK are set to get a boost as the government today(12 December 2025)announces a £750,000 boost to projects inspiring young people to explore careers in aviation.
Fromrocket building toroadshows, the projectsbenefitingfrom fundingdon'tjust promote more conventional aviation careers,theyalso raise awareness of the varied, technical and emerging routes into careers in aviation that are lessvisible and associated with the sector.
The Reach for theSky funding will support a future workforce that meets the demands of a rapidly growing aviation sector, following the government approving expansion plans forGatwickandLuton andpushing forward a third runway at Heathrowto create thousands of highly skilled jobs.
Projects set tobenefitincludeTech, Engineering, Creative (TEC) Women,which will be awardednearly£100,000to deliverSTEM careerfestivalsinCornwall, aimed at encouraging moregirlsinto the sector.
Over £50,000will also be awarded toEast London Advanced Technology Training (ELATT),to inspireyoung peoplefrom deprivedcommunitiesin East Londoninto aviation careers throughemployervisits, workshops,clubsand creative projects.
Neurodivergentschool children inManchesterwill alsobe encouragedintoaviation through theMason Foundation,thanks to a £30,000boost from the government.
Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather, said:
The UK has a proud history in aviation, which we are determined to continue by inspiring more young people to see thesectoras a place where they can build their careers.
Reach for the Sky plays a vital role in that mission, helping to break down barriersto opportunityand encouraging the next generation to aim high.
Alongside securing the future oftheaviationindustry, this is about ensuringyoung people from all backgrounds can see and learn about the varied and often highly skilled jobs and future opportunities that will deliver growth across the country.
Other projectsbenefitingfromthe fundinginclude:
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Fantasy Wings- encourages girls and young people from ethnic minorities into the industry by providing interactive workshopsin Birmingham,Manchesterand London,along with flight training for a number of participants at the end of the programme.
*
Aerobility-supports pathways into aviation for the disabled community by providing accessible virtual simulator sessionsincounties including Surrey, Staffordshire and Kent.
*
Get with the programme -delivers a bespoke 'moon landing coding adventure'nationally, introducing coding and aerospace forstudents across the country.
Now in itsfourth round, Reach for the Sky has backed dozens of projects across the UK to improve their offer of support for young people, including theAir League- a training provider based in London, aimed at unlocking aviation opportunities for underrepresented communities - andCodes4Droneswho won the 2025 to 2026 'STEM provider of the year' award for presenting drone coding workshops to primary and secondary schoolpupils across the country.
JacksonSmith, CEO of Fantasy Wings, said:
We at Fantasy Wings are delighted to receive this funding from the Reach for the Sky Challenge, a fantastic initiative dedicated to powering the next generation into aviation.
As Europe's largest diversity-focused aviation programme, we've seen firsthand how access and opportunity change lives.
With over 5,000 graduates and 500 flying scholarships awarded in the last 5 years, this new support will allow us to expand our reach, enhance our programmes and create even more pathways for young people across the UK to explore and build careers in aviation.
Today's announcement follows thelaunch of applications for the next cohort ofAviation Ambassadorsin September,a group of industry professionals who work toraise the profileofaviation careers alongside undertaking their professional roles in the sector.
Alongside inspiring the next generation of aviation leaders, the governmentis also backing thedevelopment of technologies to help futureproof the sector. This includes greener aviation through the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, which willprovideeconomic security for the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market by guaranteeing a set price per unit for UK producers.
Anadditional£63 million is also being invested to speed up construction on new SAF production plants, to unlock the opportunities of the green fuels sector in aviation to deliver growth and create skilled jobs on the journey to reach net zero.
Caitlin Gould, TEC Women CIC and TEC Girls Director,said:
At TEC WomenCIC, we are thrilled that our TECgirls Reach for the Sky Festival and Take Flight education programme has been funded to help more girls explore STEM roles inaviation and aerospace.
Our Take Flight festival has been building year on year, with over 500 girls and 1,000 people attending last year and our education outreach has provided practical hands-on-learning for over 200 girls across Cornwall,including a work experience week.
In 2026, we plan to continue to grow this programme, working with more industry partners and reaching new audiences across rural and coastallocations. Without support from the challengefund, ambitious events like our festival would not be possible.
Tara Connelly, Programmes Manager at Bright Futures UK, said:
We're incredibly grateful to receive this funding. It will make a huge difference to the young people we support in hospital and help us provide tailored aviation outreach to a demographic that has previously been excluded.
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