The 32 youngsters who have joined BAE Systems’ Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Scheme will become the creators of the products which will drive our business forward for generations to come.
The scheme is divided in to two parts focusing on aerospace engineering and software engineering.
The company is currently looking to take on a further 23 at our sites in Warton and Samlesbury, Lancashire, six on the software scheme at our site in Yeovil, Somerset and two at our site in Brough, East Yorkshire.
The application window for these places close on Monday, February 29, 2016.
Jacob Cleverley, 19, is one of the aerospace engineering apprentices, who has spent the past six months being taught foundation skills at Blackpool and The Fylde College in Lancashire, and will move in to placements in the Military Air and Information business from the start of March.
He said: “It have always had a passion for aerospace and from an early age have flown radio controlled planes, so it is a dream of mine to work in the industry.
“The placements give us the chance to get hands-on with aircraft like Typhoon and the F-35 Lightning II, some of the most advanced pieces of technology in the world.
“The opportunities the apprenticeship offers are really excited and I just cannot wait to get started in the business.”
Fellow apprentice Heather Alty, 19, added: “I have always enjoyed working out how things work and this apprenticeship gives me the chance to do practical learning as well as the academic side, it is the best of both worlds.
“I studied in maths, chemistry and physics at A-Level, so I have always wanted a career in engineering and BAE Systems was a great fit.
“From March, we go on placements in different parts of the business and I am really looking to getting out and experiencing all the opportunities this apprenticeship offers me.”
Both Jacob and Heather will spend their first three years with us studying for a foundation level degree before upgrading to a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng) qualification in their final two years.
A group of software engineers have already started placements in our business since they joined us in September.
Joseph Morris, 18, started his software apprenticeship at our Brough site, and has already experienced first-hand testing of our Hawk advanced jet trainer in rigs and 'flying' it on a flight simulator.
He said: “The first five months of my apprenticeship has been phenomenal and surpassed by expectations.
“I have picked up on so many things from working alongside my team, which works on the ground-based support systems for the Eurofighter Typhoon, and it puts me ahead of my class-mates as I am able to constantly test and develop my programming skills on real-world projects.
“Being involved with such a large project has boosted my confidence and enabled me to understand how a team can develop and produce complex software together.”
Across the UK, BAE Systems is taking on more than 680 apprentices, including a record 142 in higher and degree level apprenticeships, as well as putting 18 employees through Masters Level Systems Engineering apprenticeships.
