Students Take Off for a High-Flying Future

TEN students from Solihull College have landed jobs as air cabin crew with some the UK’s leading airlines following success on their college courses.

The students have just completed the air cabin crew and aviation operations courses at the college’s Blossomfield Road campus and have been snapped up by top airlines such as First Choice Airways, Flybe, Thomas Cook Airlines and Ryanair.

Ian Boulton, lecturer on the air cabin crew programme, is delighted with the high levels of commitment and hard work shown by the students and the growing reputation the college’s travel and tourism programmes enjoy within the airline industry.

He said: “This current crop of students have been excellent.

I am not surprised that so many have secured positions with airlines.

“We have seen a large number of our former students develop very good careers in the airline industry with many seeing promotion and enjoying career development opportunities in related occupations as dispatchers or working in customs and excise andimmigration.

“I think this speaks volumes about the high regard the industry holds for the college and our courses.”

The courses offer a mix of classroom-based and practical activities including air cabin safety, emergency procedures, communications, customer service, personal grooming and crew working environments.

Practical sessions include practising rescue procedures using the smoke-filled cabins at East Midlands Airport’s training facilities, airport trips plus short and long haul flights.

Student Jo Lawrence has secured a place with Flybe and feels she is well prepared following completion of her Solihull College course.

She said: “This course is very thorough and I feel a lot more confident about starting my new job having completed it.

“The highlights for me were the simulated three hour flight where we had to deal with a range of issues in-flight including difficult customers, and flying with Aer Lingus to New York to gain first- hand experience of US customs procedures since the 9-11attacks.”

The college has been delivering these programmes for more than seven years and during that time has worked with airlines such as Thomsonfly and Aer Lingus.

Solihull College is recruiting a new intake of students for the next courses which start after Easter. For details, contact the college on 0121 678 7000.

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