BAE Systems, the UK’s largest defence company, is set to recruit a record 2,400 apprentices, undergraduates, and graduates next year, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing investment in workforce development.
This intake will bring the total number of trainees across the FTSE 100 group to 6,500 — approximately 15% of its UK workforce.
The defence giant, known for building the country’s nuclear submarines and fighter jets, employs 100,000 people globally. Its commitment to skills development has seen an annual acceleration in investment since the Covid-19 pandemic. Next year’s £230 million spend on education initiatives will push BAE’s total investment in skills to over £1 billion since 2020.
The funding supports apprenticeships, graduate programmes, and upskilling existing staff while also backing outreach projects like the company’s third skills academy, recently opened in Glasgow.
Charles Woodburn, BAE’s chief executive, highlighted the importance of investing in talent to deliver cutting-edge programmes: “With thousands of roles open across the country and our exciting high-technology programmes, there has never been a better time to embark on a career with us.”
John Healey, the defence secretary, praised BAE’s early careers schemes as essential to maintaining national security capabilities and fostering the next generation of industrial leaders. “This investment is a vote of confidence in the UK as a hub for highly skilled jobs and cutting-edge employment,” he added.
Diversity remains a priority for BAE Systems. Of this year’s new apprentices, nearly a third are women, and one in three graduate starters come from ethnic minority backgrounds. Francesca Di Mascio, 27, an electrical engineering apprentice, shared her experience: “This apprenticeship is a great opportunity to earn while you learn. For the first time, I feel truly valued in a business.”
BAE’s recruitment drive signals a strong commitment to shaping a skilled and diverse workforce to meet the demands of the UK’s defence industry and beyond.