Rapid ascent
With a soaring reputation and ambitious expansion plans, aviation training company Directions is flying high and still climbing!

“ As a partnership organisation and CIC, we’re dedicated to supporting one of the primary intentions of Robin Hood Airport, which was to benefit the locality and the entire region,”
Richard Smith, Managing Director.

Artists impression of the 50,000 sq.ft hangar due for completion Spring 2007

Look across the runway at Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, and you simply can’t miss it - occupying 55,000 square feet, Hangar 3 is a vast ex-RAF aircraft hangar that’s about to be transformed into a unique and exciting Aviation Employment and Training Academy destined to lead its market sector in the UK and beyond. This remarkable transformation is thanks to the dynamism and dedication of Directions, a unique partnership organisation that has grown to become one of the UK’s most outstanding and diverse aviation training-based operations in just 2 years.

Directions is now a Community Interest Company (CIC) - a new type of limited company established by the DTI last year, and formed with a significant multi-million pound investment from Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and the Humber. CICs have clear Statements of Intent set out in their constitution - and these are reviewed by the independent Regulator of CICs each year. To comply with its obligations, Directions will publish an Annual Report setting out what it has achieved in bringing economic and social benefits to the area.

Supporting the Airport and benefiting the locality
“ As a partnership organisation and CIC, we’re dedicated to supporting one of the primary intentions of Robin Hood Airport, which is to benefit the immediate locality and the entire region,” says Richard Smith, Managing Director of Directions. "We don't just offer aviation related training, but we also cover a vast array of associated skills development to help both individuals and businesses alike, an example being for instance language training. In addition we work closely with local communities ad schools and are constantly looking to develop new programmes." The new Academy also contains a Business Centre and managed business units (supported by funds from the European Commission's Objective 1 Programme), so Directions will also be able to enhance the area’s commercial property profile, working in partnership with the airport owners. To ensure delivery of this wide-ranging service portfolio to such a diversity of target markets, Directions has formal partnership links with the Airport itself, Lufthansa Resource Technical Training, Jobcentre Plus, Doncaster Chamber, Nord Anglia Lifetime Development, as well as other public and private sector bodies.

Two full-size aircraft for wide-ranging training
The new Aviation Employment and Training Academy will be the cornerstone of Directions’ already comprehensive training offering. Currently the company offers general job-finding and work training services, with particular emphasis on aviation-related careers, from engineering through to air traffic control, as well as cabin crew and airport-based jobs. “We currently offer around 125 courses, and the new Academy will increase this to 140,” says Karen Hodgson, Directions’ Operations Director. “With the huge hangar space available to us, we can keep full-size passenger planes for trainees to work on and we’re expecting delivery of a Boeing 727, which will provide opportunities for cabin crew training, safety and evacuation procedures.” The Academy is also awaiting the arrival of an HS 748, a 28-seat twin turbo-prop aircraft that will be used for a wide range of aircraft engineering, servicing and maintenance training.

Artists impression of the interior of the new hangar

Canadian links - creating a global facility
Work has started on Hangar 3 and is expected to be finished in early 2007.
The facility will offer two floors of training suites and meeting rooms, teaching spaces and offices, plus the ‘Zero-Two-Zero’ Café, with full wi-fi internet connections, as well business units available for short or medium lets. At the same time, the Academy is building links with one of the world’s largest aviation academies based in Montreal, Canada – and there are exciting plans to bring together the activities of the two in order to provide a joint aviation training facility with a global reach. This will help also Directions to fulfill increasing demands from a growing number of airlines and airports throughout the country interested in sending people to Directions for training that only they can offer.

Education and employment that serves the community
Through aviation training and many other activities, Directions’ prime purpose is to serve the community, and their track record has been very impressive: “We’ve received around 43,000 telephone enquiries about our services and have helped over 500 people secure work at the airport” comments Richard Smith. “We’ve also had over 2,500 people on our training courses during the two years we’ve been in existence.”
Directions’ educational work has also been extremely successful and the company liaises directly with local colleges, schools and local groups in order to explain career opportunities available in the aviation industry. In addition, many members of the public are simply curious about what goes on behind the scenes at Robin Hood Airport. So to provide both career insights and satisfy public curiosity, Directions runs a full airport tour service that includes a guided walk round the terminal building, a visit to the airport fire station and a full official presentation. “The tours have been so successful that we have taken several hundred people round the Airport,” says Richard Smith, “and we’re already taking advance booking for tours well into next year.”

Supporting local business enterprise
If you thought that Directions is already doing an amazingly diverse job in supporting the community, there’s even more! The company is actively helping the development of local businesses by providing conference and meeting room facilities at its current offices in Meteor House, a former RAF Station Commanders Headquarters.
A fascinating and historic building whose boardroom witnessed detailed planning for the Battle of Britain, Meteor House now offers a Media Suite, training and interview rooms, IT suite plus, of course, use of the historic boardroom. “We also have a massive database of around 14,000 people who have registered their interest in working with the Airport,” says Richard Smith, “so we’re in an excellent position to help local businesses find employees, whilst also helping people in the area to find work.”
With Directions’ current busy workload and its confident plans for the future, the only way is up for this diverse and skills-rich organisation. “We’re immensely proud of what we’ve done to support Robin Hood Airport and the region” concludes Richard Smith,
“ and when Hangar 3 opens next year, opportunities for local people and local businesses will take off even more!”

“ We’ve received over 43,000 phone enquiries about our services and have placed over 500 people secure work at the airport”
Richard Smith, Managing Director

For further information on aviation training or airport employment opportunities, ring 01302 623300.