INFORMATION

Training the talent of the future

22 Apr 2009

Our Advanced Apprenticeship programme is one of the largest in the UK. At any one time, we have up to 1,000 people employed on training programmes covering engineering skills, business administration and information technology.

We invest heavily in our apprentices because we recognise that they are crucial if we are to maintain the leading edge in an industry that is competing for skilled individuals on a global scale.

Our apprenticeships typically take between three and three and a half years to complete. A year is spent at college and the remaining time is dedicated to gaining practical experience at a variety of our businesses. There are opportunities for apprentices who distinguish themselves to progress their study to degree level with our support.

In a study of our apprentices between 2002 and 2007, we discovered that they are very committed to the business and that of 200 taken on at our Warton and Samlesbury sites, only 5% left the business compared with 26% of direct entrants.

And in a study carried out by Oxford Economic Forecasting, it is estimated that it costs £73,000 to train an apprentice and that each of our employees contributes £84,000 of added value to the business every year. So investing in apprentices makes good business sense.

We are also committed to encouraging more young women to become engineers. In 2008 one of our apprentices, Rachael Hoyle, was named Advanced Apprentice of the Year in the Learning and Skills Council’s Apprenticeship Awards.

Rachael completed an Advanced Apprenticeship in Aerospace Engineering and has now secured a full-time position in the Structural Engineering department at BAE Systems, one of her former work placements.

Rachael says: “I didn’t always want to be an engineer or work with aircraft, and as my schooling drew to a close, I felt unsure of what the future held. I looked into apprenticeships and other courses, but what clinched the BAE Systems apprenticeship for me was the fact that I could go and begin a career, learning from people who are experts in their own right. I felt I could get involved in real work while applying my favourite subjects, like physics and maths, and continuing to learn.”

Having completed her Advanced Apprenticeship, Rachael is now working towards a Bachelor of Engineering degree at Manchester Metropolitan University. BAE Systems pays her fees and gives Rachael the time she needs to study.