Located alongside the advanced manufacturing hub in Samlesbury, Lancashire, the facility has seen more than 300,000 people walk through it’s doors since opening in 2016. It offers more than 20 different apprenticeship and graduate schemes for Air sector employees.
Technology
The Academy is equipped with the latest technology, which replicates the equipment used in our manufacturing facilities and engineering labs, where world-leading combat aircraft including Eurofighter Typhoon are produced and future combat aircraft like Tempest are developed.
This includes:
- A manufacturing Kuka robot cell identical to the one found in BAE Systems' advanced manufacturing line, producing parts for Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 jets;
- A virtual reality cave, used in a training environment for the first time, which allows people to mimic any process from enhancing technology on a military jet simulating building major infrastructure;
- 3D printers to teach skills in designing and rapid prototyping of parts, which is increasingly used in modern manufacturing;
- A carbon fibre cleanroom to help trainees understand the materials used in Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 Lightning II aircraft;
- A full-size Hawk jet trainer to give workers the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the aircraft used by Air Forces across the world.
Lifelong learning
The Academy is the learning hub for continuing development of all employees in our Air sector business equipped with classrooms and open plan study areas.
Every year we support employees with professional development but we also extend our reach into the wider community. To date over 3000 young adults have had the opportunity to engage with BAE Systems through STEM activities co-ordinated through the Academy.
STEM commitment
The Academy’s Education Station offers an exciting learning area to inspire visiting school children to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.
This includes:
- Eye-tracker technology used in futuristic pilot’s helmet such as Striker II.
- The chances to ‘fly’ Eurofighter Typhoon through a low-level flying route.
- The latest innovations from across our Air sector teams.
The Academy will also act as a collaborative skills hub for the North West Engineering and Manufacturing sector, enabling BAE Systems to work alongside industry and academia to improve working across the region.
Investment
The Academy for Skills & Knowledge is a £15.6m investment by our Air sector, opened in December 2016. Since then, the investment has increased to more than £20m.
Designed and built in three years, the Academy utilises the knowledge and experience of the Company’s training staff to provide the very best learning environment.
From 2015, it undertook an 18-month construction programme, which saw 450 tonnes of steel, 6,000 tonnes of concrete and more than 100 miles of wiring, create the building.
The 7,400m2 building is approximately the size of a football pitch and is located in the Samlesbury Aerospace Enterprise Zone alongside our advanced manufacturing hub.
