£750,000 Government funding boost to inspire next generation of UK aviation professionals

Projects designed to encourage young people into careers in aviation are set to benefit from a £750,000 funding boost, as the Government announces the latest awards from the Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund.

The funding will support initiatives across the UK that aim to showcase the wide range of career opportunities available in aviation, helping to build skills, improve access to high-value jobs and futureproof the sector’s workforce. A particular focus has been placed on engaging young people from diverse and under-represented backgrounds.

From rocket-building workshops to national roadshows, the projects receiving funding go beyond traditional aviation roles, highlighting technical, creative and emerging career pathways that are often less visible but increasingly vital to the industry’s future.

The investment comes as the aviation sector prepares for long-term growth, following the Government’s approval of expansion plans at Gatwick and Luton airports, alongside progress towards a third runway at Heathrow. Together, these developments are expected to support thousands of highly skilled jobs across the UK.

Among the projects benefitting from the latest round of funding is TEC (Tech, Engineering, Creative) Women, which will receive nearly £100,000 to deliver STEM career festivals in Cornwall, aimed at encouraging more girls to consider careers in aviation and aerospace. East London Advanced Technology Training (ELATT) will receive more than £50,000 to inspire young people from deprived communities in East London through employer visits, workshops and creative projects.

Neurodivergent schoolchildren in Manchester will also be supported through a £30,000 award to the Mason Foundation, helping to open up aviation career pathways to a wider range of learners.

Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather said the UK’s strong aviation heritage depended on inspiring the next generation. He added that the Reach for the Sky programme plays a vital role in breaking down barriers and ensuring young people from all backgrounds can see the breadth of skilled jobs and future opportunities available in the sector.

Other funded projects include Fantasy Wings, which encourages girls from ethnic minority backgrounds through interactive workshops and flight simulator sessions in Birmingham, Manchester and London, and Aerobility, which supports disabled people into aviation careers through accessible virtual simulator programmes. Get with the Programme will also receive backing to deliver its national ‘Moon Landing Coding Adventure’, introducing coding and aerospace concepts to students across the country.

Jackson Smith, CEO of Fantasy Wings, welcomed the funding, saying it would allow the organisation to expand its reach and create even more pathways into aviation for young people across the UK.

He said: “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 five 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.”

Another area that was is being funded is TEC Women CIC and TEC Girls which helps girls explore STEM roles in aviation through their Reach for the Sky Festival and Take Flight Education Programme.

Caitlin Gould, TEC Women CIC and TEC Girls Director said: “In 2026 we plan to continue to grow this programme, working with more industry partners and reaching new audiences across rural and coastal locations. Without support from the Challenge Fund, ambitious events like our festival would not be possible.“

Now in its fourth funding round, Reach for the Sky has supported dozens of initiatives nationwide, including the Air League and Codes4Drones, which was named STEM Provider of the Year for 2025/26.

The announcement follows the launch of applications for the next cohort of Aviation Ambassadors and sits alongside wider Government support for greener aviation, including investment in sustainable aviation fuel production and legislation aimed at accelerating the sector’s journey to net zero.

All the projects funded

Organisation Title	Funding Amount	Project description and targeted region
Lightyear Foundation	£28,000	In response to the ‘Equal Skies’ charter, the Lightyear Foundation will host in-person, inclusive workshops for neurodivergent young people including industry visits (National).
Jon Egging Trust	£40,122	An aviation and aerospace careers roadshow, raising aspirations for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by connecting them to real-world opportunities in the sector. (Cornwall, Dorset, East Anglia, Hampshire, Lincolnshire, West Midlands, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire).
Flight Crowd	£54,040	A three-month virtual programme focussed on career skills and sector specific challenges. Paired with a specialist, application only, programme which includes a two-day immersive experience at Norwich Airport. (South England).
Get With The Program	£54,020	A project which delivers the organisation’s bespoke ‘Moon Landing Coding Adventure’ an introduction to coding and aerospace for key stage 2 students (National).
The Mason Foundation	£30,000	A 12-month pathway of workshops, in partnership with the Air League which teaches employability for aviation careers to neurodivergent people age 13-25 (Manchester).
Aerobility	£60,589	Supports a pathway into aviation and aerospace for disabled people through virtual simulators, online careers sessions, industry visits and introductory flight in a bespoke, accessible aircraft (Surrey, Staffordshire, Cornwall, Kent).
TEC Women	£95,848	Festivals for girls age 7-12 exploring STEM activities and careers in the sector, to align with Women in Engineering Day. Programme also contains work experience programmes (Cornwall).
ELATT	£55,914	Employer visits, workshops, clubs, and creative projects to show young people living in poverty in East London who are excluded from mainstream education that it is possible for them to succeed in STEM career pathways (London).
Brighter Futures Social Investment CIC	£46,000	Connecting young people ages 16-25 with employers while teaching soft skills and employability skills to build confidence to pursue a career in aviation (Kent and London).
Cranfield University	£32,376	Careers talks from members of the National Flying Laboratory Centre and visits to the university interactive facilities, which include a Boeing 737, for students eligible for free school meals between years 5 and 8 (Cranfield).
Springpod	£69,875	Virtual aviation and aerospace work experience facilitated by all members of the Aviation Industry Skills Board for students from underrepresented backgrounds (Virtual).
Big Ideas	£38,336	Provides students from underserved communities access to aviation pathways, combining digital workshops, industry role models and in-person enrichment to build aspiration from the experience (London).
Martian Supersonic Jets	£45,000	A unique year-long competition programme for university students to design, build and fly a solar aircraft, complimented with college and school outreach (National).
Bright Futures UK	£11,789	Providing virtual reality workshops to children in hospital who are missing out on education due to long term illness, preventing them missing out on learning key skills and being inspired while receiving treatment (London).
Seadream Education CIC	£5450	Introduces primary school age children to the concept of flight using wind tunnels and models to show how lift is created and how design influences efficient flying (Devon, Cornwall, Somerset).
Fantasy Wings	£79,860	Careers workshops for young women and individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds designed to create pathways into the industry. Includes discussions with role models, flight simulator sessions, and networking opportunities (Birmingham, Manchester, London).