Learning and Development fact sheet

What is BAE Systems approach to Learning and Development (L&D)? 

“Inspire and develop our workforce to drive success” is one of the six long-term areas of focus set out in our Company strategy. We want every employee at BAE Systems to have access and opportunity to develop and grow, whether it is in a current role or plans to develop for a longer-term career path. 

The four key areas that support learning and development across our organisation are Core Skills, Leadership Learning, Functional Learning and Business Integrity Training. Together, these provide opportunities for employees to build capability, enhance performance and support career growth within their role, function, business and sector, while Business Integrity Training is a mandatory requirement for all employees. Various career frameworks across our Functions highlight opportunities to further develop in each of these key areas and support career progression.

We apply the 70:20:10 framework to employee development. Approximately 10% of learning is provided through live sessions with facilitators or on-demand content through our partners such as LinkedIn Learning. 20% of development comes through coaching, mentoring and peer group networks. While 70% is gained through on-the-job experience with the appropriate support provided through stretch opportunities, job shadowing, secondments, etc. Together, these approaches provide a comprehensive framework for developing our people.

We use performance needs analysis to understand the gap between current performance and our desired future state. Based on the performance gaps identified, we design, develop, implement and evaluate appropriate learning and development solutions to address those gaps. This helps ensure our learning initiatives improve performance effectively and deliver a measurable return on investment.

How do you know what the Company is doing with regard to learning and development is the right approach?

We are developing our new learning and development strategy informed by comprehensive feedback from employees across the business. This insight will help us create learning experiences that meet the needs of our people and support future business priorities. 

This strategy will also include ongoing evaluation and improvement, allowing us to adapt swiftly as our workforce, technology, and business environment evolve while maintaining an effective, relevant and impactful approach.

Do you have a dedicated team to manage learning and development?

We have a dedicated team managing learning and development through a hub and spoke model. The hub consists of our Learning Centre of Expertise (CoE), which includes UK and International L&D representatives. This central team develops our learning strategies, policies, and governance frameworks, and develops and looks after our digital learning resources to drive our L&D practices forward.

The CoE connects with L&D professionals throughout the organisation via the 'spokes' - dedicated L&D teams or organisation and talent development integrators embedded in various business units. This structure ensures centrally coordinated yet locally relevant L&D initiatives.

Our hub and spoke approach facilitates two-way development of the learning function. The hub disseminates best practices and overarching strategies, while the spokes provide insights into specific business needs and local challenges. This bi-directional flow of information allows us to continually refine our L&D offerings, ensuring we're developing our people effectively while maintaining consistency in our overall approach.

How do Managers support employee learning and development?

Our performance management framework supports Managers and Leaders in connecting with their teams throughout the year, aligning development plans with key business objectives. Development needs will be dependent on a number of factors, including – but not limited to – role, experience, strengths and development areas and, of course, the employee’s future aspirations and career goals.

Through performance, career and talent conversations, managers and employees create development plans that align with internal and external opportunities. Managers and employees review development activities to keep plans on track and build the capabilities required for future opportunities.

How can employees develop themselves?

Employees have access to a large range of development opportunities. Through the framework of 70:20:10, development can take place through a variety of comprehensive development programmes that we offer which are specific to Functional learning, Core skills and Leadership learning. These live interventions can be bite-sized sessions or programmes that can span over a number of months or years. Within these programmes we strive to provide a blended approach to cover a variety of learning styles and needs of our employees. 

What is your talent management framework?

We want all of our employees to reach their full potential and feel valued for their contribution. We’re focused on maintaining our position as a leading employer of choice, particularly in the areas essential to our business of engineering, manufacturing, science and technology.

Our ambition is to have a high performing workforce that enables business performance and growth through an inclusive culture where all our employees are respected, valued and feel they can belong and contribute fully to our mission.

We engage and develop our employees throughout their career at the Company. Our annual talent review process responds to the strategic priorities of the business, leveraging enterprise-wide talent. Our annual process is reviewed by the CEO and the Board. 

Accelerated development is offered to those who have the aspiration, ability, and performance to fulfil leadership and technical roles that are critical to our future success. 

How do you encourage internal mobility?

Our dedicated Internal Mobility Team are our specialists, dedicated to helping our internal talent discover new career opportunities to develop and grow. The Internal Mobility Team support with executive roles that are exclusively open to our BAE Systems colleagues throughout the organisation. So, if an employee is curious and open to new opportunities, they will help them to achieve their ambitions. The Internal Mobility Team maintain a presence on the BAE Systems intranet site, where our employees can go to seek new opportunities, join the Talent Community to register their interest in new opportunities, and to seek further guidance on how to apply for roles and how to discuss their aspirations with Line Managers.

How do you support the development of Leaders?

Our Leadership Management portfolio develops our leaders at all levels right from prospective line managers to enterprise-wide leaders. This enables us to focus on key topics areas, such as leadership presence and impact, inclusion and psychological safety, digital leadership and AI and team effectiveness.

Through this, we develop leaders of tomorrow who will:

• Lead and inspire high performing teams and individuals;
• Drive the strategy and challenge the status quo, to deliver superior value and innovation for our customers;
• Lead with excellence, creating an inclusive and high-performance culture, in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment; and
• Identify new opportunities to rapidly grow our business, actively encouraging creative ways of working and enterprise collaboration.

How do you support lifelong learning?

Working closely with our customers, we are planning for future skills needs and creating opportunities for lifelong learning across our workforce.

We continue to invest significantly in developing the capabilities needed to support future engineering, manufacturing and digital technologies. In 2024, we opened our Digital Skills Academy to all employees, helping to build digital capability at every level of the organisation and equipping our people to thrive in an increasingly connected, data-rich environment.

We have also invested in a network of world-class training facilities across our businesses, including the £15.6m Academy for Skills & Knowledge in Samlesbury, the £25m Submarines Academy for Skills & Knowledge in Barrow, and the £12m Applied Shipbuilding Academy in Glasgow. Together, these academies provide apprentices, graduates and employees with access to cutting-edge technologies, immersive learning environments and hands-on training that develop the specialist skills required to design, build and support the next generation of air, maritime and submarine programmes.

Through these investments, we are strengthening critical capability areas, supporting innovation and ensuring our workforce is equipped to meet future business and customer needs.

The information contained in this fact sheet is for PLC managed businesses and is accurate as at the date of its publication.
 
Publication date: 14 August 2026