easyJet staff bring their daughters to work – to highlight STEM jobs

Airline easyJet gave some of its female staff a special, Mother’s Day treat – by allowing them to bring their daughters to work with them. First Officer Debbie Thomas, an easyJet airline pilot and former engineer, was joined in the cockpit by her 10-year-old daughter, Harriet, giving the youngster a special tour of the A320 aircraft flight deck.

Harriet was shown the controls, and even practiced making a pilot’s passenger announcement.

Harriet, who is keen to follow in her mother’s footsteps, said: “It was so fun to see my mum at her work – I think her job is amazing, which is why I want to be a pilot just like her when I grow up.”

Meanwhile, Nikoletta Pakalidou, who is based at London Luton Airport, got a chance to show her seven-year-old daughter, Amaryllis, what a typical day is like for her as a Senior Data Analyst for the airline.

Together, the pair analysed baggage data and trends, met with colleagues across the business, and attended meetings at the airline’s head office at Luton.

Speaking of the importance of representation, Nikoletta said: “This was a brilliant and important opportunity to bring Amaryllis to work with me, and show her what a job in Data is all about.

“With fewer women than men starting STEM apprenticeships in the last year, and research even showing that that number is falling compared to previous years, it’s critical to raise awareness of the incredible variety of jobs available in the industry and in those STEM roles from a young age.”

The special mother-daughter day was hosted by easyJet as part of their campaign to encourage the next generation of women into STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths – careers.

The airline is committed to this message after recent research suggested that based on current trends, it would take 22 years for the same number of women to be starting STEM apprenticeships as men.

The campaign is part of the airline’s ongoing work to support employability and early career opportunities, and to drive a more diverse community within the airline and the aviation industry as a whole.

It follows the recent launch of easyJet’s partnership with leading diversity in aviation youth organisation, Fantasy Wings, to support young people from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds – as well as young women – with greater career opportunities.

easyJet announced they will provide 50 schools across the UK with fully-sponsored places on the Fantasy Wings aviation career development programme – which aims to equip young people with the necessary tools they need to succeed in the industry, and land their dream first-time role.

The airline currently offers 17 apprenticeships that range from engineering and data, to artificial intelligence and business analytics – and even beyond STEM into HR, legal, and leadership.

And the apprenticeships are not just for school leavers, but also for continuous professional development that allow people within easyJet to progress in their careers.

easyJet have also launched a team of Enterprise Advisors from within their team of staff, and have partnered with schools in the Luton and Gatwick areas to provide advice and support to young people

Since 2016, the airline’s Pilot School Visits programme has seen pilots visit hundreds of schools up and down the country, to help young people to learn more about the career, and encourage more girls to become airline pilots.

Schools and parents can request a visit from an easyJet pilot by contacting pilotvisits@easyJet.com. More information on all career opportunities with easyJet can be found here.