We’re pleased to announce that we have been featured at number 25 in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2025, which celebrates the UK’s outstanding apprenticeship employers.
We’re a people business and what we do makes a difference across every site, location and community we work and live in. In our Delivering the Defence Dividend Report we talk about this, our ongoing commitment to delivering for people and communities, and to securing the critical skills we need now and in the future. Our apprenticeship programme is one of the ways we’re doing just that.
This year’s improved ranking recognises a particular busy year for us – in 2024 we welcomed our largest-ever early careers intake, including over 400 apprentices across a wide range of high-demand disciplines.
We continue to break down barriers to employment, widening the entry pools for our early careers talent by extending our pre-apprenticeship programme and using gamification as an inclusive recruitment tool, so a broader range of people can access long-term careers in defence, and the fantastic training and development that comes with this.
With space and cyber becoming increasingly important elements of national security, we’ve introduced space systems engineering and cyber security engineering apprenticeships to bolster our resilience for years to come. We’ve also opened a new apprenticeship welding school in Bristol. By investing in these programmes now, we’re creating a talent pipeline that underpins the UK’s future defence capability.
But it doesn’t stop there, we are launching eight new apprenticeship programmes as part of our 2025 campaign, which will attract a broader talent pool and significantly raise our annual intake numbers.
Louise Atkinson, Chief People Officer, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to see our ranking in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2025 soar this year. This achievement is a testament to our unwavering commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a culture of excellence.
“Our apprenticeships are vital to our critical defence programmes and embody our broader mission to positively impact the communities we proudly serve. By focusing on developing a skilled, diverse, and inclusive workforce, we are not only strengthening our organisation but also contributing to the vibrant growth of the economy. We are excited about the future and look forward to expanding our apprenticeship offerings, empowering more people to build meaningful careers and achieve their full potential.”
Find about more about our varied apprenticeship opportunities.