At North Hertfordshire College, we’re proud to offer students meaningful, real-world work experience through close collaboration with industry.
That’s why a group of our Level 3 Diploma in Travel & Tourism students attended Heathrow Airport for a SEP (Safety & Emergency Procedures) Awareness Day with British Airways Global Learning Academy. SEP Training is critical, mandatory training for cabin crew and pilots, designed to ensure they can manage in-flight emergencies and safety-related situations effectively.
This was a fantastic 6-hour day delivered in the heart of the training centre at Heathrow Airports, offering hands-on experiences and industry insight. Second-year Travel & Tourism students were selected to attend this trip to support with their career aspirations, as the session was targeted at students who are considering careers in aviation. The session helped our students think about the wide range of roles within the airline industry, from piloting to cabin crew.
The day included learning zones, workshops, and activities about:
• Safety and emergency equipment
• Pilot incapacitation
• A320 Slide Descent
• Slide raft practical
• Smoke chamber exercise / fire rig (naked flame)
• Cabin evacuation and de-brief
The Heathrow teaching team also gave the students a session on the aircraft about a real emergency scenario, providing insight on how cabin crew and the pilot communicate in these situations. Our learners even got the chance to put out real fires on the training plane and explored how to manage an incident. They were tasked to deal with the emergency as if they were cabin crew and needed to evacuate the plane and learnt how to do it efficiently including how to open the plane doors.
Alexis, one of our learners who attended the day told us about her experience: “As someone who is aspiring to be cabin crew, being able to take part in BA’s SEP awareness day and talk to real flight attendants was amazing!
“We engaged in a variety of hands-on activities as well as learning the theory behind emergencies and tasks. The trip really gave me an insight into what it’s like working for BA and has encouraged me to do more research and look for apprenticeships.
“My favourite part was when I searched a Boeing 777 cabin for a fault and had to put out a fire! Ruth and Suzanne, our leaders for the day, were so welcoming, friendly and encouraging throughout the experience and gave us lots of tips for applying and the interview process!”
Do you want to work with industry professionals like British Airways to develop your career in the travel and tourism sector? Be the best you. Ever. Explore Travel & Tourism pathways at NHC.