Advanced naval apprenticeship launched

Young people are being offered the chance to work on the ‘brains’ of the Royal Navy’s next generation complex warships, as BAE Systems launches the first ever apprenticeship scheme of its kind in its Combat Systems team.

BAE Systems and Nescot College have teamed up to offer the new Higher Apprenticeship in designing, developing and integrating state-of-the-art naval combat systems. Combat systems equip crew members with the information and capability they require to operate effectively in modern naval environments.

Six successful applicants for the four-year Combat Systems Engineering Higher Apprenticeship will be based in New Malden and Frimley where they will receive on the job training with the company’s Combat Systems team which is currently working on exciting programmes, including the mission system for the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, as well as systems for the new Offshore Patrol Vessels and Type 26 Global Combat Ships.
They will attend Nescot College for classroom-based learning in areas of cutting-edge engineering disciplines ranging from platform and software security to understanding and developing emerging technologies.

BAE Systems is one of the UK’s largest employers of engineers. Its existing apprenticeship schemes are rated ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED in 2010 and have one of the highest completion rates in the engineering sector.

Nescot, Epsom’s college of further and higher education offers full and part-time vocational courses and apprenticeships to learners and employers. The Apprentices will gain qualifications, including a Higher National Diploma and a Level 4 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals whilst being paid a competitive salary.

For further details of the Combat Systems Engineering Higher Apprenticeship, visit www.baesystems.com/combatsystemsapprentices. Applications close on 30 June 2014.

Apprenticeships allow men and women at the start of their careers to develop their full potential achieving academic qualifications and vocational experience, while becoming financially stable at a relatively young age. This new scheme demonstrates that apprenticeships are a valuable alternative to university for many young people and I’m delighted that we are offering apprenticeships within such a vitally important part of our business for the first time.

We’re looking for apprentices who are eager to develop their full potential within engineering and are inspired by the challenge of creating the systems that our Armed Forces depend on while working in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous environments.

Jennifer Osbaldestin , Combat Systems Director at BAE Systems

We are delighted to be working with BAE Systems and we think this will be a partnership that benefits the college and BAE Systems as well as the students themselves. The apprentices will finish the course with highly-valuable technical skills and experience, as well as immensely important practical skills, such as problem-solving and thinking laterally.

Sunaina Mann OBE, Nescot Principal