The charity provides outreach sessions and early intervention programmes to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who are at risk of falling out of education. These programmes enable young people to build employability skills, confidence and resilience, and directs them to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workplaces and positive role models.
The funding provided by Northrop Grumman will allow JET to provide inspirational outreach sessions to 1,000 young people, which link young people to aspirational role models and speakers.
JET will also be able to provide its space-inspired STAAR Lite programmes to schools, and 250 students will have the opportunity to take part in a cyber security workshop later in the year.
The funding will also support JET’s delivery of its Blue Skies programme, which helps disadvantaged young people who are at risk of falling out of school to build leadership skills, resilience, and aspirations.
JET’s Blue Skies programme has supported more than 35,000 young people in the past decade, in partnership with JET’s network of corporate and military partners in the UK.
More than 200 young people will be able to participate in this three-year programme thanks to the funding from Northrop Grumman, a company which has supported the charity since 2014, and has helped it to build space content into its STEM projects.
The chief executive of JET, Dr Emma Egging, said: “Covid and the current cost of living crisis have made life unimaginably difficult for so many young people across the UK, especially those who were already facing adversity.
“We are hugely grateful to the team at Northrop Grumman for their continued belief in our young people and their belief in our ethos of offering opportunity and support to students who are brimming with potential but haven’t yet had the chance to shine.”
Nick Chaffey, chief executive of Northrop Grumman in UK and Europe, said: “Every child has the potential for brilliance, and at Northrop Grumman we are passionate about helping everyone unlock their full potential, no matter the obstacles.
“Partnering with organisations like JET helps to leverage science and technology’s innovation to help young people facing adversity discover opportunities that are meaningful, exciting and rewarding. Across the country, we will continue to do everything we can to support young people who need it most. Our partnership with JET is a key pillar of that mission, and it is an honour to continue our work with them.”
