Only Heathrow can take Britain further

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As the UK debates the best way to build an economic recovery, the importance of equipping the next generation with the proper skills needed for the technological transformation our country faces is irrefutable.  But one of the worst legacies of the recession is there are still 740,000 young people aged 16-24 who are unemployed. Although the figure is gradually falling, it means nearly one in five young Britons are still excluded from the workforce.

Heathrow, the UK’s only hub airport has a unique role to play in boosting jobs, skills and supporting economic growth both locally and nationally. Heathrow is part of a community that encompasses West London, Surrey and the Thames Valley.  Almost one in four local jobs depends on the airport with over 76,600 people directly employed and a total of 114,000 jobs supported in the local area.  For any locals who don’t work at the airport, they probably know someone who does and many of the businesses in our region are here because Heathrow connects them to world markets.

Heathrow can do more. If Heathrow gets the green light for expansion our capacity to create more career pathways for the next generation will be huge. The UK Government’s independent Airports Commission’s analysis shows Heathrow will create up to 180,000 jobs across the UK with 80,000 outside London and the South East and up to 70,000 in our region.  We will also be able to double the number of apprenticeships across the airport to 10,000. This will represent a step change in local employment – in an area with over one hundred thousand out of work.  Unemployment could be cut by 50 per cent and youth unemployment in surrounding boroughs could end.

But the Commission has also confirmed there will be 14,000 less jobs at Heathrow by 2030 if expansion does not go ahead. This goes some way to explain why 50% of people in constituencies surrounding Heathrow support expansion (compared to 33% who oppose) and why 80,000 local people have signed up to support the grassroots campaign Back Heathrow.

As the biggest employer in our region we want Heathrow to be a career destination for young local people to realise their potential and fulfil their ambitions. A month ago we saw 5,000 visitors come to our 8th annual jobs and careers fair. Through the Heathrow Academy, which helps local unemployed people back into the workplace, we have been creating career pathways in retail, aviation and logistics and construction for local young people for a decade. We are now extending its scope to include technology and security. Heathrow also has a well-established education programme with local primary and secondary school, which aims to raise aspiration and academic achievement in science, technology, maths and engineering.

This is just the local story. If the UK is to rebalance the economy and return to long-term sustainable rates of growth, it needs Heathrow to not only win and create quality local jobs, it needs to open up the whole of Britain to access those emerging markets in Asia and the Americas. The Commission analysis shows that with expansion at Heathrow, up to £211bn will be injected into the whole British economy, not just London and the South East.

The investment and opportunities that will come from Heathrow’s expansion across the country will not only create important jobs for the next generation, it will position nations and regions to capture investment and create opportunities for people and exports to reach the emerging markets where there’s the greatest potential for growth. An expanded Heathrow will serve more long-haul destinations, increasing routes by over 50%, making emerging markets more accessible for UK exporters. Just look at the stories of exporters like Louis Barnett, a Staffordshire-based chocolatier who exports to Poland, UAE and Mexico, Sound Moves UK, a company that exports sound equipment around the globe for some of the world’s biggest music artists and MHI, a Bristol-based mail handling company riding the e-commerce revolution.

The UK’s long term prosperity depends on the ability of government and employers to provide the jobs, education and skills that we need now and in the future. It is a journey Heathrow has already embarked on because it vital to our employees, our community and crucial to our country’s success. Only Heathrow can take Britain further.

This is a sponsored post, and does not necessarily represent the editorial views of LabourList