George Best Belfast City Airport hosted pupils from Belfast based school Lagan College, as it encouraged students to consider engineering as a viable career choice.
The visit coincides with Engineers Week, aimed at inspiring young people, teachers, and parents across the island of Ireland to explore the opportunities presented through an engineering-based career.
A day in the life of an engineer
Among the initiatives taking place this week, 30 pupils attended the airport where they experienced a day in the life of an engineer with presentations from management and staff at Belfast City Airport, National Air Traffic Services (NATS), and the designers of the recently completed terminal reconfiguration, Todd Architects.
Chris Horner, capital projects and engineering manager at Belfast City Airport, spoke to the students about his role at the airport and his career in engineering: “It was wonderful to speak with the students from Lagan College as they begin their journey into an Engineering GCSE later this year.
“Engineers Week is a fantastic opportunity for Belfast City Airport to partner with local schools and stakeholders to promote necessary skills for the future and spark an interest in the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).
'Helping young people realise their full potential'
“We are passionate about helping young people realise their full potential and working closely with schools is extremely important to the airport, forming a key aspect of our corporate responsibility programme.”
Caroline Spillane, director general of Engineers Ireland, said: “Engineers Week is a chance for parents and young people to find out more about the many career opportunities available within the engineering sector and learn about the kind of skills that qualified engineers can build on as they move through their careers.
“There are many misconceptions about the ‘type of person’ who should pursue engineering and during Engineers Week we can show people that the world of engineering is open to everyone - girls, boys, creative thinkers, curious minds, problem-solvers and leaders.”