BAE Systems is set to hire thousands of new apprentices and graduates in 2025 as its investment in skills is expected to reach £1bn.
Since the start of the decade, the firm has recruited thousands of apprentices and graduates each year.
This will continue into 2025 with the company announcing it will recruit a further 2,400 trainees. This will bring the total number of young people in training at the company to 6,500, who make up approximately 15% of BAE’s UK workforce.
Training these newcomers will see BAE invest a further £230m in education and skills, bringing the total investment in skills to over £1bn since 2020. The funding is spent primarily on UK apprentices, graduates and experienced employees, as well as education outreach. Many of its early-career recruits are trained at its skills academies located in Glasgow, Barrow and Samlesbury.
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...