- Defence giant says number of staff in training will equate to 15% of its workforce
BAE Systems will have a record 6,500 young people in training after it recruits over 2,400 new apprentices and graduates next year.
Europe’s largest defence company, which helped build the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, said the numbers in training will be equivalent to 15 per cent of its total workforce.
It expects to hire around 1,300 apprentices, with the majority based in the North of England, along with more than 1,100 graduates and undergraduates who will work on projects such as the Global Combat Air Programme.
The FTSE 100 group plans to invest £230million on education and skills next year, meaning it will have spent at least £1billion on upskilling people across the UK since 2020.
Such investment has allowed the firm to open a shipbuilding facility in Glasgow this year, its third skills academy on top of sites in Samlesbury, Lancashire, and Barrow-in-Furness.
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.
Recruiting: BAE Systems intends to have a record 6,500 young people in training next year
‘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.’
Global defence spending has ramped up in the past few years, reaching an all-time high of $2.44trillion in 2023, following the escalation of the Ukraine War and heightened tensions between Western countries and China.
BAE Systems has subsequently enjoyed a massive boost in orders, which reached a record backlog of £74.1billion in the first half of 2024.
As of last month, the FTSE 100 business had received around £25billion in orders this year alone, including contracts to produce Bradley Fighting Vehicles and airborne radio sets for the US Army.
For the full year, the firm expects its revenue and underlying operating profits to both expand by 12 to 14 per cent, as well as free cash flow of £1.5billion.
John Healey, Secretary of State for Defence, said BAE Systems has ‘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 in cutting-edge employment, creating highly skilled jobs across the UK.’
BAE Systems shares were 0.4 per cent higher at 1,232p on Monday morning and have grown by 121 per cent over the past five years.
The group’s value suffered a £2billion blow last Friday after Bank of America analysts downgraded BAE from ‘neutral’ to ‘underperform,’ amid concerns that Elon Musk’s plans to make the US Government more efficient could result in military spending cuts.
The United States is BAE’s largest market, accounting for 42 per cent of its overall sales last year and nearly a third of its 100,000 employees.
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