BAE Systems plans record apprentice intake

The new recruits will work at 16 sites in the UK and join the company in September 2014. BAE Systems attributed part of the increase to a requirement for hundreds of highly skilled submarine manufacturing employees to meet the largest workload for two decades at the shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. The yard is currently working on delivering the five remaining Astute class attack submarines and is recruiting to develop the new 'Successor' submarines which are due to replace the Vanguard class from 2028. Two hundred and seventy two roles are available at the submarine yard in Barrow with two roles at a sister submarine design site in Weymouth, Dorset. Ninety four apprentices are also required for the military aircraft design and production sites in Warton and Salmesbury in Lancashire, as well as 17 for the site in Brough in Yorkshire. A further 48 trainees will join the Aircraft Maintenance Academy in Doncaster, Yorkshire. Also in Yorkshire, six roles are available to work on developing cyber security software at the Leeds office. In Portsmouth, Hampshire, 38 apprentices will be required to join the warship maintenance and servicing business, and one role is available with the radar programmes and manufacturing team in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. In Scotland, 62 opportunities are available with BAE Systems' shipbuilding business on the Clyde in Glasgow and three apprentices will join the Regional Aircraft business in Prestwick. The company's electronic systems business in Rochester, Kent will take on 15 apprentices. A further six apprentices will join the munitions productions site with two each required for the factories at Radway Green in Cheshire, Glascoed in Monmouthshire and in Washington, Tyne and Wear. Four apprentices will join the combat vehicles support business in Telford, Shropshire. Nigel Whitehead, group managing director at BAE Systems, said: "Our additional intake of apprentices this year reflects workload requirements at the submarines business, but the number also demonstrates the fantastic contribution and value that apprenticeships bring to BAE Systems. Apprentices are a vital part of our talent pool and we find that our training programmes really help young people develop their full potential and become financially stable at a relatively young age. This is a win-win situation for our apprentices, our company and the wider economy." Apprenticeship applications close on 28 February, 2014.