Record £1 billion skills investment as BAE Systems to recruit thousands more apprentices and grads
BAE Systems apprentices
3 December 2024
BAE Systems apprentices
BAE Systems is projecting a record number of young people in training in 2025 and the Company’s investment in education and skills is expected to reach £1 billion since the start of the decade.
The company, what has major sites across the South of England and Bristol is recruiting for more than 2,400 new apprentice, undergraduate and graduate roles in 2025, which will result in a record number of 6,500 in training, making up approximately 15 per cent of its UK workforce.
An anticipated £230 million investment in education and skills next year will take the total amount spent on upskilling people across the UK since 2020 to beyond £1 billion.
The funding, which has grown year-on-year since the COVID-19 pandemic, is spent primarily on UK apprentices, graduates and experienced employees, as well as education outreach, helping to build on the Company’s reputation as a leader in growing the nation’s industrial skills base, whilst also contributing to local and national economic growth.
Our investments have enabled BAE Systems to open its third multi-million pound skills academy in Glasgow this year, which expands on its established academies in Barrow and Samlesbury.
Charles Woodburn, CEO at 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, Secretary of State for Defence, added: "BAE Systems are a leading light in the UK defence industry and play a crucial role in keeping the men and women of our Armed Forces equipped on the front line. 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."
Almost 1,300 apprentices are expected to join BAE Systems next year, with the majority of roles based in the North of England alongside opportunities across the South of England, Scotland and Wales.
BAE Systems also plans to hire more than 1,100 graduates and undergraduates, giving each cohort the chance to work on some of the world’s most advanced technology programmes including the Global Combat Air Programme and the UK’s next-generation submarines known as SSN-AUKUS.
