It’s a problem faced by many jobseekers: you need experience, to get experience. This can result in being stuck in jobs that pay the bills but aren’t a passion. It causes problems for employers too, who set their expectations for candidates to have an almost impossible combination of skills, experience, and cultural fit.
The Rochester technician training program sets out to change that – recognizing that natural aptitudes and values in a candidate are what matter. It’s now giving dozens of community members the opportunity to train for skilled roles they might never have been offered.
The program has been running for seven years and consists of cohorts for test technicians and production technicians. Its objective is to bridge the gap between the business demands and the availability of skilled local talent. By developing enthusiastic and dedicated individuals, the program provides them with the necessary training to excel in these technical roles, ultimately building a bench of skilled professionals to meet the industry’s needs.
“The crux of the program is that it welcomes candidates who may not have all the experience we’d prefer, while identifying the transferable skills we need – allowing us to ensure we have the pipeline of talent we need to deliver for our customers,” said Lee Penford, director of Operations and Supply Chain at Rochester.
The challenge
Recruitment – especially for technical roles – can be a challenge for BAE Systems’ Rochester Business Centre. While the site’s location just outside of London appeals to those who prefer not to work in the city, the growing scarcity of technical skills presents an ongoing hurdle.
Production technicians build and assemble the products designed at Rochester – from active control sticks and flight control computers to Head-up Displays (HUDs) and the latest Striker® II Helmet-Mounted Display. Their role requires a diverse skill set, including hand-soldering printed circuit boards and assembling mechanical or optical components of HUDs.
Test technicians, who perform functional testing on our products as part of assembly and troubleshooting, have even more niche skills: they need to be able to fault-find to the component level. Since many other manufacturing industries only fault-find to the product level, experience at this level is uncommon.
“We struggle to find test technicians with this know-how,” explains Gary Chapman, manufacturing resource manager, who oversees the programs. “Those individuals usually don’t exist or are very rare.”
According to Chapman, the education landscape has also changed. Traditionally, guild exams and BTech courses were once very practical and hands-on, but nowadays, they are often viewed as precursors to university degrees. However, not all students aspire to become design engineers, which is typically the career path for someone with this type of degree. This highlights a potential mismatch between the education systems and the diverse career goals of students who may be seeking alternative paths that focus on technician skills and practical applications.
Creating the solution for the skilled workforce for the future
In 2017, the company recognized a growing workforce challenge and the critical need for a targeted training program. In response, the first cohorts were launched in 2018, and have since been successfully filling key gaps that had previously posed recruitment challenges.
To ensure alignment with business objectives, the trainee cohorts are carefully planned in line with business forecasts. This strategic approach enables the company to tailor the number of trainees to support business needs while also considering retention levels. By doing so, the program remains responsive to evolving requirements, allowing for a more effective and sustainable workforce development strategy.
Identifying the right candidate
“Above all else, what we hire for, is work ethic and hand skills,” said Chapman.
Since ‘hand skills’ may be difficult to identify in a resume, it’s recognized that past employment isn’t the only place these latent skills can be found; hobbies that show dexterity and fine motor skills are also taken into account. The program has welcomed colleagues from previous careers as varied as plumbing, painting and decorating, retail, delivery driving, security, and even graphic design.
Chris Cantlon, a production technician, joined the 2022 cohort having previously worked in retail and as a plumber. Despite his initial nervousness about making a career change, he felt very well-supported throughout the training, and is glad he made the leap. He is now a clean room specialist and gets to use his hand skills as part of the LiteHUD® Head-up display assembly team.
“This was the best choice I ever made,” said Cantlon. “I feel incredibly fortunate to be working for BAE Systems. It’s a company I never thought I’d be a part of, and I’m thrilled to be here. This opportunity to be a part of a comprehensive training program has completely changed my career and my life.”
While test technicians do need a qualification for the work they do, our training addresses the gap that exists between what is taught at technical colleges and universities, and what is needed to solve complex problems on the manufacturing shop floor.
After high school, Louis Ince started a foundation year at university as part of a pathway to a degree in electronic engineering but soon realized it wasn’t for him. While he did well academically, he found the environment isolating, and many of his friends were already working. After completing his foundation year, he found there were almost no opportunities in electronic engineering – his passion – that didn’t require previous experience. The trainee program changed the course of his career.
“It’s so exciting and interesting working here – and I feel like I’m making a difference with the work I do,” expressed Ince.
The investment made – recruitment, training and beyond
Shortlisted candidates undergo a comprehensive half-day selection process, which includes individual interviews and an assessment of their hand skills. To further evaluate their teamwork and problem-solving skills, applicants are divided into groups to solve a challenge together. This allows the interviewing panel to observe and inform the selection of the top candidates per cohort.
Each cohort embarks on an eight-to-nine-month training journey with multiple stages of development. The first two months focus on basic skills, followed by off-job training. For this initial stage, trainees work in a dedicated training space, with equipment that’s similar or identical to that on the shop floor. The area includes all the tools normally found in the shop, including soldering irons, thermal tweezers, microscopes, extraction equipment, heat pencils, screens, and a docking station.
After this initial phase, trainees spend six to 10 weeks completing certifications, after which they transition to the production floor and work alongside a more experienced technician. In this period, they’ll gain hands on experience and refine their skills on a real shop floor.
The payoff
While it’s a significant time commitment for the company, Chapman believes it is worth it.
“Before this trainee program was introduced, we could easily spend a year trying to find the right people for our production and test teams, with limited success,” he said.
The program isn’t just getting people in the door - it’s keeping them here. Chapman said that 90 percent of those recruited through the program remain with the company today. A true testament to the team’s goal of finding the right talent and culture fit.
Age is just a number
While the title ‘trainee’ may sound like a junior position, the program is designed to be inclusive and welcoming to all individuals. Its participants range in age from 18 to 50 years old, coming from various backgrounds. Those leading the program don’t believe in putting limits on people. They feel it’s never too late or too early to acquire new skills and transition into a new career.
Nathan Clark, who completed the production technician trainee program in July 2025, previously worked for the on-site facilities subcontractor at Rochester. While he was the oldest person in his cohort, and older than the trainer, he was impressed that age wasn’t a barrier like it may have been at other companies.
“When I joined, I had low self-confidence – I’m dyslexic, and the school system left me thinking I’m not that intelligent, in the traditional sense of the word,” said Clark. “I know that I’m inquisitive, with a curious mind, and this trainee program has helped me see that there are many things that I’m good at.”
What next for the program?
Test technician cohorts are still running during the latter half of 2025, with more planned in 2026. Following two production technician cohorts in 2025, more will likely follow in 2026. Keep an eye on our social media and online recruitment boards.
By Joanne Pohl, Communications