Babcock celebrates National Apprenticeship Week

Babcock International, the aerospace and defence company, is celebrating the 13th annual National Apprenticeship Week as it supports the UK Government’s focus on diversity, growth and opportunity through its own apprenticeship programmes.

Look Beyond, the 2020 theme, is focused on diversity, growth and opportunity.

Babcock is committed to talent development, with apprenticeships forming a core element of our talent strategy. We offer apprenticeships at all levels from two to seven across over 50 different programmes. We have a strong focus on supporting people into the workforce and over 80% of our 800 apprentices are currently studying at levels two and three.

Benefitting both existing employees and new starters alike, there are opportunities to get involved in training from hands-on technical apprenticeships to data science courses qualified to a Level 7 Masters degree.

Babcock’s Junior Naval Architect Hannah Orchard has two awards under her belt after being voted Apprentice of the Year 2019 by her peers and scooping a national award from the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights in London. She has now started an undergraduate degree at Plymouth University in Marine and Composites, funded by the company, to help her fulfill her ambition to become a Naval Architect.

Hannah is very modest about her achievements, and said: “If you’ve got the right mind-set, there’s no limit to what you can achieve with Babcock. If you’re positive, motivated, and passionate, you’ll fly. I chose to do my apprenticeship with Babcock and specifically at Devonport because, although there were other options closer to home, they offered everything I wanted, including the option to do a Foundation Degree as part of my training, which I’ve done and am now very lucky because the company is sponsoring me to do an undergraduate degree.”

Working with a number of academic institutions and industry specialists, Babcock is regenerating the future talent pool with a focus on the application of exciting new technology including digital twins as well as the chance to support aspects of its new iSupport360 approach.

Kevin Goodman, Babcock’s Group Director of Organisation and Development, said: “We are delighted to be supporting National Apprenticeship Week again this year. Building a sustainable pipeline of engineering and business talent is key to the long-term success of our business.“

To find out more about Babcock’s exciting apprentice programmes, visit our website: https://www.babcockinternational.com/Careers/Apprenticeships/