BAE Systems plans to recruit 2,400 people next year, with its investment in skills and education since 2020 set to reach £1 billion.
The UK’s largest defence firm plans to hire a host of new apprentices, undergraduates and graduates, creating 6,500 more trainees who will represent 15% of its total UK workforce.
In total, it expects to spend around £230 million in 2025, with its funding having increased year-on-year since the pandemic.
Almost 1,300 new apprentices are predicted to join the business next year, with most positions based in the North of England and some spread across the South of England, Scotland and Wales.
BAE Systems also expects to employ 1,100-plus graduates and undergraduates.
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As well as covering the cost of recruitment, the investment will also be used for education outreach, helping to boost industrial skills across the UK.
The company has also opened a skills academy in Glasgow in addition to its two existing academies in Cumbria and Lancashire. It also partners with a number of colleges, universities and social mobility champions, such as Movement to Work.
Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems, said: “As the UK’s largest defence company, we rely on the skill and ingenuity of those who deliver our programmes, which is why it’s so crucial we continue to invest in our people. With thousands of roles open for application across the length and breadth of the country and our exciting high technology programmes, there has never been a better time to embark on a new career with us.”
John Healey, defence secretary, described BAE Systems as “a leading light in the UK defence industry” which plays a crucial role in keeping the armed forces equipped on the front line.
He added: “Defence offers exciting careers and this investment is a vote of confidence in the UK as a leader for cutting-edge employment, creating highly skilled jobs across the UK. National security is the foundation for national stability and growth. Our Defence Industrial Strategy will ensure our defence sector is an engine for jobs and growth, strengthening our security and our economy.”
BAE Systems also expressed a commitment to “creating a diverse and inclusive workplace” in order to “maximise its talent pool”, which it believes is essential in developing a pipeline of future skills and talent.
This year, 30% of the company’s new apprentices are female – double the percentage in the UK engineering sector – while one in three new graduates come from ethnic minority backgrounds.
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