BAE Systems boosts recruitment with 2,400 new apprenticeship and graduate roles in 2025

In 2025, BAE Systems, the UK's largest defense company, will significantly increase its recruitment efforts, aiming to bring over 2,400 new apprentices and graduates into its workforce. This initiative reflects the company's commitment to enhancing training programs and is expected to raise the total number of individuals in training to 6,500, which represents about 15% of its total UK workforce. The firm has been investing heavily in education and skills development since the beginning of the decade, with a planned investment reaching approximately £1 billion. This funding will primarily be directed towards apprentices, graduate programs, experienced employee training, and educational outreach efforts. As part of this recruitment strategy, almost 1,300 apprentices are anticipated to join the company in 2025, predominantly located in the North of England, as well as in the South, Scotland, and Wales. Additionally, BAE Systems plans to incorporate more than 1,100 graduate and undergraduate roles into its workforce in the upcoming year. This planned expansion is a response to the growing demands in the defense sector and highlights the company's reliance on the skilled workforce that can support its ongoing programs. The recent opening of BAE's third multimillion-pound skills academy in Glasgow underscores this initiative. This facility will complement the existing academies located in Barrow, Cumbria, and Samlesbury, Lancashire. Charles Woodburn, the Chief Executive of BAE Systems, emphasized that the company's success relies on the skill and ingenuity of its workforce, making continued investment in training and education crucial for future operations. These developments also resonate with the comments made by Defence Secretary John Healey, who acknowledged BAE Systems as a leading player in the UK defense industry and highlighted the importance of such investments to foster exciting career opportunities within the sector. Healey remarked that national security serves as a foundation for stability and growth, pointing out that the UK Defence Industrial Strategy aims to ensure the defense sector acts as an engine for job creation and economic growth.