The Challenge

The aviation industry has faced immense challenges in recent years. From the impact of the pandemic to a shrinking talent pool due to political volatility and retiring engineers, the available skilled talent was reduced.  There was a significant skills gap created, and with growing pressure, the demand for engineers to maintain aircrafts increased as travel resumed.  

Impellam always take a customer-centric approach to resourcing talent, and that proved particularly significant when tackling Virgin Atlantic’s severe engineering shortfall. 

Working closely with Virgin Atlantic, Impellam established that the traditional apprenticeship pathway was insufficient in meeting long-term needs. 

The Solution

Impellam developed an extensive programme to identify the next generation of Aeronautical Engineers graduating from universities across the UK, talent scouting them over the course of their final year. The solution, titled ‘Recruit, Train, Deploy’ set up by Impellam was used to empower early and experienced talent through comprehensive training and development; addressing Virgin’ Atlantic's engineering skills gaps and enhancing the organisation with fresh perspectives.

Impellam's Recruit, Train, Deploy solution is well-established in tackling critical skills shortages, equipping both early and experienced talent with in-demand skills to help businesses thrive. This solution helps organisations de-risk their talent pipeline.

This, alongside Impellam’s powerful combination of customer centricity and culture of Virtuosity made the difference by driving value and optimal outcomes.  

How does the solution work?

Impellam recruits, trains and deploys talent to help bridge future skills gaps.
 
Recruit – find candidates with the most potential
Train – use industry leaders to provide on-the-job learning
Deploy – deploy candidates into the company
 
Impellam nurtures career growth and drives industry innovation through a supportive framework for success.

The 18-month postgraduate programme provides graduates with the opportunity to enhance their leadership experience alongside technical training, using the apprenticeship levy to fund leadership experience development through a partnership with ‘Raise the Bar.’ 

From recruitment, training and leadership development, mentorship programmes and assessment, ‘Recruit, Train, Deploy’ is implemented with a focus on practical learning. 

Ensuring recruits receive real-world experience in Virgin Atlantic’s engineering facilities, the programme successfully equips graduates with the necessary skills to excel in their engineering operations. It also contributes to a more diverse and inclusive workforce within the engineering teams and ensures a sustainable talent pipeline to maintain Virgin Atlantic’s reputation for safety and reliability. 

The results

The programme has been so successful that it was referred to as "Top Gun Academy" by Virgin Atlantic’s Head of Engineering, Matt Sharp, due to its focus on selecting and developing the best talent. 

“We are thrilled with the programme's success. It has not only filled our immediate skills gap but has also laid a strong foundation for the future of our engineering. team. Matt Sharp, Head of Engineering, Virgin Atlantic”

Impellam is now aiming to place 50-60% of UK aeronautical engineering graduates through its programmes.

Virgin Atlantic's collaboration with Impellam set a new standard for talent development in the aviation industry. The ‘Recruit, Train, Deploy’ programme’s success demonstrates the power of strategic partnerships and innovative training initiatives to overcome industry-wide challenges. Recruit Train Deploy solutions are fully customisable and built first and foremost with the customer at the heart.

Our strategic approach nurtured career growth and filled the gap of  the engineering skils shortage and boosted our Virgin Atlantic's skilled workforce. 

We believe in nurturing career growth.

Find out more about our Recruit, Train, Deploy solution.