BAE Systems recruiting North East and Humber apprentices as part of major skills investment

Trending Today

Defence giant BAE Systems is recruiting 120 new apprentices and graduates across its bases in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber next year as part of a major investment plan.

The company is boosting the number of people in training to 15% of its UK workforce, training a record 6,500 young people next year. Its investment in education and skills is expected to reach £1bn since the start of the decade, spent predominantly on UK apprentices, graduates and experienced employees, as well as education outreach.

The move will see the business welcome 1,500 new apprentices and graduates across sites in Barrow, Brough, Samlesbury, Washington and Warton. A breakdown shows that its Washington and Ridsdale Land UK sites will welcome seven apprentices, while Brough and Humberside’s Air division will take in 53 apprentices and 50 graduates. The Leeds Digital Intelligence unit, meanwhile, is set to welcome six apprentices, two undergraduates and two graduates.

Apprentices in the North East will have the chance to work on flagship programmes critical to national security, including the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) developing the UK’s next generation fighter as well as SSN-AUKUS which is a next-generation submarine.

The company said its early careers schemes are vital to developing the talent pipeline needed to deliver critical national security capability, helping to build the next group of talented industrial leaders, with many former apprentices and graduates going on to become leaders in the company.

Charles Woodburn, chief executive 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, said: “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.”

BAE Systems has more than 60 programmes available, with opportunities at every level, from steelwork and engineering to cyber security, software development, finance and project management. The closing date for apprentice applications is 28 February 2025.

Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

Now Playing

Recently Played

Latest News

Landlords face jail if they fail to act on cladding by new 2029 deadline

Building owners who fail to remove dangerous cladding have been warned “we are after them” and they could face jail as ministers set a 2029 deadline for action. The Government acknowledged there could be up to 7,000 buildings with dangerous materials which have not yet been identified, while progress on remediation work on high-rises with known issues has been too slow. The Remediation Acceleration Plan means that, by the end of 2029, all buildings over 59ft (18m) tall with unsafe cladding that are on a Government scheme will have been remediated. By then, buildings over 36ft (11m) tall with unsafe cladding will either have been remediated or have a date for completion, with landlords liable for tough penalties if they fail to comply. Building safety minister Alex Norris told Sky News: “I would want people who own buildings that are watching this, who have not been remediating them, to know we are on them, we are after them, and we want those buildings remediated. And if they don’t, they will feel the force of the law. “We have a range of powers already, ranging from fines to prison sentences, that can be used in health and safety cases. “We will use that basket of tools in whatever way with each building to get it resolved. We have committed that that will be the case by the end of this decade.” Mr Norris acknowledged there are an estimated 4,000-7,000 buildings with flammable cladding which have not yet been identified, more than seven years after the Grenfell Tower disaster which killed 72 people. Campaigners labelled the Government’s plans as “extremely disappointing” proposals that will “only make a horribly complicated process worse”. The inquiry into the 2017 Grenfell Tower blaze found that victims, bereaved and survivors were “badly failed”. The west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the “systematic dishonesty” of firms that made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick said in September’s report. End Our Cladding Scandal, a group representing leaseholders affected by unsafe buildings, said they are “still far from a comprehensive solution” on building safety. The group said in a statement: “Labour’s Remediation Acceleration Plan is extremely disappointing. These proposals will only make a horribly complicated process worse with further layers of bureaucracy. “The Government may be patting itself on the back by announcing a target date for all high-rise buildings in government-funded schemes to have been remediated; however, the Building Safety Fund first opened for registrations in June 2020, so a target date of nine years from then is underwhelming.” The group added: “We are still far from a comprehensive solution that will bring about the change innocent leaseholders and residents across the country need and deserve to see. “There is still far too much uncertainty. Severe penalties will be meaningless without leaseholders and residents knowing for sure when homes will be made fully safe. This ‘plan’ will do little to change that.” Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said: “More than seven years on from the Grenfell tragedy, thousands of people have been left living in homes across this country with dangerous cladding. “The pace of remediation has been far too slow for far too long. We are taking decisive action to right this wrong and make homes safe. “Our Remediation Acceleration Plan will ensure those responsible for making buildings safe deliver the change residents need and deserve.” Published: 02/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

NHS reforms stand no chance if recruitment issues are not tackled nurses warn

Top nurses have warned that planned Government reforms for the health service “stand no chance” if issues with recruitment and retention in the profession are not addressed. It comes as new figures show the number of nurses and midwives registered in the UK has grown to a record high. However, experts claim the workforce is “increasingly inexperienced”, while facing worrying shortages and still relying heavily on candidates from overseas. Policymakers have been urged to consider measures such as student loan forgiveness schemes to ensure there are enough home-grown staff. The latest mid-year report from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) shows there were a record 841,367 professionals on the register as of the end of September. The figure is an increase of 14,949 compared to the previous six months and 22% higher than March 2017. The NMC said growth has been upheld by “two pillars” in the past seven years. These are a “steady pattern” of domestic recruitment and a “significant rise” in overseas joiners. The figures show 14,780 UK-educated professionals joined the register between April and September, a fall of 1.8% compared to the previous six months, while 11,569 UK-educated staff left the register, some 1.6% higher than the figure reported in the six months to September 2023. Meanwhile, the NMC said international recruitment “could be starting to slow”. Its data shows there were 12,534 internationally educated joiners on the register in the six months to September, which is 16.6% fewer than the same period last year. Some 2,573 international staff also left the register, an increase of 33%. Kuljit Dhillon, interim executive director of strategy and insight at the NMC, said: “Nursing and midwifery are among the UK’s most trusted professions, so as we head into another tough winter, we hope there is small comfort in the growth of our register to a record 841,000. “At the same time, there are notes of caution in our data around international recruitment, which has been a pillar of workforce growth in recent years. “We’ve seen a fall in internationally educated joiners and an even higher proportional rise in leavers, although it’s important to view leavers’ data through the lens of a growing register.” However, Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), called the figures “bad news for patients”. “Nurse recruitment is slowing, the numbers of new starters is falling and we are witnessing a devastating increase in people leaving within five years of joining,” she added. “At a time of widespread vacancies, these trends are incredibly worrying for our NHS and the people that rely on its care. “Across health and care services, international recruitment was utilised to plug rota gaps, but we are now watching as thousands of overseas staff choose to go elsewhere. “This comes as the number of student nurses in the UK dropped considerably again this year, showing worse years seem be ahead. “As demand for care soars, ministers across the UK need to recognise this as a perfect storm for patient safety and take action to improve recruitment and retention. “Working for low pay, in understaffed, under-resourced services takes its toll with burnout pushing highly-trained nursing staff out the door. “Across England, we desperately need a loan forgiveness scheme to boost domestic recruitment into the profession. The government’s NHS reforms stand no chance of being delivered without addressing these fundamentals.” Dr Billy Palmer, senior fellow at think tank Nuffield Trust, welcomed the growth in the register but warned the workforce is facing shortages. He also described the figures as “a chronic symptom of a domestic clinical education system that is not fit for purpose”. “The UK’s nursing and midwifery workforce is increasingly inexperienced and facing deeply worrying shortages in important areas, with learning disability nursing numbers still lower than five years ago,” Dr Palmer said. “Concerningly, the number of nurses and midwives with over 10 years’ experience is falling, and 28% of staff have five years’ experience or less – echoing similar trends seen in the latest registration data for doctors. “This shift to less experienced staff may affect productivity and put a strain on those who train, mentor and supervise them.” He added: “We have warned the NHS is failing to attract homegrown nurses, with new domestic joiners having previously fallen by more than 6,000 over two years. “Now, the heavy reliance on overseas joiners continues, with nearly half of new nursing and midwifery registrants educated outside of the UK. “Policymakers and educational leaders cannot stay blind to these trends. They need to be bold – considering measures like student loan forgiveness schemes – to ensure UK nursing and midwifery has enough domestically trained, experienced staff to sustain the NHS workforce for the future.” A Department of Health spokesmamn said: “Nurses have been overworked for years, leaving them burnt out and demoralised. That’s why we accepted the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies to award them and other NHS staff an above inflation pay rise. “We will work with staff to rebuild our health services and give the NHS the stability and certainty it needs.” Published: 02/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

The V.I.P Club 👑

Join the V.I.P Club and receive exclusive special offers, competitions and amazing prizes. It’s FREE and easy to do!

ON AIR NOW:

BAE Systems recruiting North East and Humber apprentices as part of major skills investment

Now Playing

Recently Played

Latest News

Landlords face jail if they fail to act on cladding by new 2029 deadline

NHS reforms stand no chance if recruitment issues are not tackled nurses warn

Follow us

The V.I.P Club 👑

Back to top

We are Proud Members of

Station Sponsor

Sponsors

Contact: