BAE announces 1,250 trainee hires despite COVID-19 pandemic

Kumutha Ramanathan
·Contributor
·2 min read
The BAE Systems logo is pictured at the BAE Systems site at Brough in East Yorkshire, north east England, on September 27, 2011. British arms manufacturer BAE Systems axed 3,000 jobs on Tuesday, mainly at its military aircraft division, as reduced spending by governments hits demand for Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets. "Our customers are facing huge pressures on their defence budgets and affordability has become an increasing priority," BAE Systems chief executive Ian King said in a statement unveiling the "nearly 3,000" job losses. AFP PHOTO / LINDSEY PARNABY (Photo credit should read LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP/GettyImages)
BAE Systems will create apprenticeships and graduate roles throughout the UK, with a focus on placements in the north of England. Photo: Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty

BAE systems (BA.L) has announced it will hire more than 1,250 new trainees in its early careers programmes in 2021, despite the mounting impact of COVID-19 on the UK job market, the company said on Thursday.

At least 850 apprenticeships and 400 graduate roles will be made available, the highest ever recruited by the defence, security, and aerospace company in a single year.

They will be based throughout the UK and new recruits will have the chance to be involved in technologically-advanced programmes, including Tempest, a future combat air system for the Royal Air Force and Dreadnought, a new generation of submarines for the Royal Navy.

“Getting people back to work and creating high-quality jobs is a national priority,” said Charles Woodburn, CEO of BAE Systems.

“So, it’s more important than ever that those of us who are in a position to do so continue our investment in the UK workforce. We’re fortunate that our business is based on long-term critical defence programmes, giving us the confidence to increase our apprentice and graduate recruitment to create a strong talent pipeline, which enables us to continue delivering cutting-edge technologies, whilst playing a role in supporting the UK’s economic recovery.”

READ MORE: FTSE little changed as BOE holds interest rates

The news comes as Britain's unemployment rate rose to 1.52 million in the three months to October, with redundancies reaching a record high as companies were hit by new coronavirus restrictions and were bracing for the end of government job subsidies.

BAE has nearly 88,000 employees in dozens of countries, with more than 34,000 workers in the UK. Senior staff, including the managing director of BAE's air division, Chris Boardman, and former BAE chief executive Mike Turner began as apprentices.

The company has been hurt by the destabilising impact of COVID-19, warning that half-year profits are expected to be around 15% lower as the pandemic takes its toll, with the UK-based air and maritime and US commercial avionics divisions impacted the most.

WATCH: Will Interest rates stay low forever?

Latest Stories

  • NBA postpones Pelicans' game against Spurs due to COVID-19

    Monday night's game was called off at the last minute, as neither the Spurs nor the Pelicans have enough players to compete.

  • Canadiens setting the standard early in North Division

    Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has hit on all his acquisitions — at least so far.

  • Scott Milanovich steps down as Edmonton's head coach to pursue opportunities in NFL

    The CFL team with no name now doesn't have a head coach.

  • Bills WR Cole Beasley played through broken fibula in playoffs

    Cole Beasley missed Week 17, but played in all three Bills playoff games.

  • Yankees deal reliever Adam Ottavino to Red Sox in rare trade between rivals

    The Yankees are sending reliever Adam Ottavino to the Red Sox in the clubs' second deal of the millennium.

  • Kawhi Leonard, Paul George ruled out for COVID-19 protocol as Clippers embark on 6-game road trip

    It's not clear when Leonard and George will be able to return to the court.

  • Tom Brady's parents contracted COVID-19, father hospitalized at start of Buccaneers' season

    “We’re just representative of 25 million Americans who have had this stuff so far."

  • Budweiser, Coke, Pepsi sitting out Super Bowl ads this year

    Budweiser, Coke and Pepsi are among the major companies not running Super Bowl ads this year.

  • Anthony Davis reveals his deep unhappiness before trade to Lakers: 'I wasn’t in a great frame of mind'

    Anthony Davis was miserable during his final months with the Pelicans, but playing for the Lakers helped him find both joy and balance.

  • Kirill Kaprizov highlights the 12 best rookies to watch for in fantasy hockey

    The Kirill Kaprizov Show is here to stay, but there are also several other rookies worth monitoring in fantasy hockey.

  • After several NFL suspensions, receiver Martavis Bryant signs with Argonauts

    The Toronto Argonauts have signed former Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders wide receiver Martavis Bryant.

  • Kamloops Blazers player critically injured in weekend snowboard accident

    A player with the Kamloops Blazers has suffered what the league describes as "life-altering injuries" following a weekend snowboarding accident in Saskatchewan.

  • Most forgettable Raptors: Alex Len earns his place in franchise lore

    Alex Len was sent packing less than a month into the season, joining a legendary list of players who dropped by and put on a Raptors uniform for fewer than 15 games.

  • Mad Bets: Will Rockets cover -6.5 vs. Wizards?

    Minty Bets & Jared Quay & Matt Gothard give their best bets for Tue. January 26.

  • Nets overcome slow start, beat short-handed Heat 98-85

    NEW YORK — James Harden and Kevin Durant each scored 20 points despite three relatively quiet quarters, and the Brooklyn Nets broke away with a big run in the fourth to beat the Miami Heat 98-85 on Monday night. Kyrie Irving added 16 points for the Nets, who completed a sweep of the Heat in two games that couldn’t have been more different. Brooklyn won 128-124 on Saturday, then took the rematch despite barely topping its lowest-scoring game of the season. Harden had only 10 points and four shots through three, then scored 10 more in the 18-2 spurt that turned a tie game into a 96-80 lead. Bam Adebayo had 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a strong follow-up to his career-high 41 points Saturday. But outside of Goran Dragic’s 21 points, there was little else for a short-handed Heat team that is without Jimmy Butler and Avery Bradley because of health and safety protocols. Tyler Herro, Meyers Leonard and Maurice Harkless are injured. PISTONS 119, 76ERS 104 DETROIT (AP) — Delon Wright scored a career-high 28 points and Wayne Ellington had another impressive shooting night for Detroit, leading the Pistons past Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia. Jerami Grant scored 25 points for the Pistons (4-13), who still have the NBA’s worst record but took advantage of Joel Embiid’s absence. The Philadelphia star was out with back tightness. Tobias Harris led Philadelphia with 25 points, but the 76ers (12-6) never made much of a run after the Pistons controlled the early going. PACERS 129, RAPTORS 114 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Malcolm Brogdon scored a career-high 36 points and Myles Turner scored 11 of his 21 in the final 8 1/2 minutes to help Indiana pull away from Toronto. Brogdon also had nine assists and seven rebounds. Jeremy Lamb matched his season high with 22 points as Indiana earned a split in the two-game set against the Raptors. The Pacers won this one despite losing All-Star forward Damontis Sabonis to a bruised left knee in the first half. Toronto was led by Fred VanVleet’s 25 points and six rebounds. Norman Powell scored 24 points. MAGIC 117, HORNETS 108 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nikola Vucevic scored 28 points and rookie point guard Cole Anthony added a career-high 21 points as Orlando topped Charlotte. Orlando snapped a two-game losing streak and bounced back from squandering a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter a night earlier in a loss to the Hornets. Orlando made a season-best 19 3-pointers, including seven in the third quarter. Evan Fournier hit 5 3s and scored 19 points. Orlando’s Dwayne Bacon had 15 points against his former team before leaving midway through the fourth quarter with an injury. Aaron Gordon finished with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Gordon Hayward finished with 24 points. Devonte Graham (21 points) and Terry Rozier (24 points) each made four 3-pointers for Charlotte, which lost to the Magic for the fifth time in six meetings. The Hornets made just 11 of 38 3-point shots. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Associated Press

  • Pacers use 4th-quarter scoring flurry, beat Raptors 129-114

    INDIANAPOLIS — Malcolm Brogdon scored a career-high 36 points and Myles Turner scored 11 of his 21 in the final 8 1/2 minutes Monday night to help the Indiana Pacers pull away for a 129-114 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Brogdon also had nine assists and seven rebounds, a day after his poorest game of the season. Jeremy Lamb matched his season-high with 22 points as Indiana earned a split in the two-game set against the Raptors. The Pacers won this one despite losing All-Star forward Damontis Sabonis to a bruised left knee in the first half. Toronto was led by Fred VanVleet's 25 points and six rebounds. Norman Powell scored 24 points. The Raptors rallied from a 70-60 halftime deficit and tied the score at 86-all in the third quarter. They eventually took a 102-100 lead on Kyle Lowry's go-ahead dunk with 9:46 to go in the fourth. It didn't last long. Goga Bitadze tied the score on Indiana's next possession, Turner broke the tie by making 1 of 2 free throws and then fueled a decisive 12-4 run with his late scoring flurry. Brogdon sealed the win with late free throws TIP-INS Raptors: Lowry scored 12 points before he was ejected in the waning moments. He needs two points to join DeMar DeRozan and Chris Bosh as the only players in franchise history to score 10,000. ... VanVleet made three 3-pointers to extend his franchise-record for consecutive games with a 3 to 49. .... OG Anunoby had 10 points and reached double figures for a career-best ninth consecutive game. ... All-Star Pascal Siakam missed his second straight game with swelling in his left knee. Pacers: Turner finished with 10 rebounds and three blocks despite playing with a fractured right hand. ... Bitadze and Aaron Holiday each scored 10 points. ... Lamb added seven rebounds. ... First-year coach Nate Bjorkgren, who was previously an assistant with Toronto, got his first NBA win against Raptors coach Nick Nurse. Bjorkgren's head-to-head record against Nurse is 4-5 including seven matchups in the G League. DOUBLE TROUBLE Sabonis' franchise-record streak of 16 consecutive double-doubles to open the season ended unceremoniously after he had 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in the first 11 minutes. He didn't return after hurting his knee. The All-Star is one of just six players since the ABA-NBA merger to start the season with 15 straight double-doubles and his absence — with T.J. Warren (left foot surgery) and newly-acquired swingman Caris LeVert (kidney mass) already out — left Indiana short-handed. UP NEXT Raptors: Begin a three-game homestand Wednesday against Milwaukee. Pacers: Play the first of two games in Charlotte on Wednesday. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Michael Marot, The Associated Press

  • Should baseball delay 2021 season over COVID-19? Maybe, but safety isn't driving MLB, union talks

    Health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic might point toward delaying the season. But it doesn't seem like MLB and the players are talking about that.

  • Wright, Ellington lead Pistons over 76ers 119-104

    DETROIT — Delon Wright scored a career-high 28 points and Wayne Ellington had another impressive shooting night for Detroit, leading the Pistons to a 119-104 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Jerami Grant scored 25 points for the Pistons (4-13), who still have the NBA's worst record but took advantage of Joel Embiid's absence. The Philadelphia star was out with back tightness. Detroit acquitted itself well in this two-game mini-series with the 76ers. Philadelphia needed a big game from Embiid to prevail 114-110 on Saturday night. The Pistons never trailed in the rematch. Ellington scored 20 points, shooting 6 of 9 from 3-point range. It was his fifth straight game with at least four 3s, tying a team record set by Joe Dumars in 1998-99. Ellington is 30 of 50 from beyond the arc in his last six games. Tobias Harris led Philadelphia with 25 points, but the 76ers (12-6) never made much of a run after the Pistons controlled the early going. Detroit's Josh Jackson was ejected in the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia couldn't take advantage. There were five technical fouls in the game. Detroit took an early 17-4 lead and was still ahead 64-50 at halftime. The third quarter came and went without the lead getting any tighter than seven, and it was never closer than nine in the fourth. TIP-INS 76ers: Coach Doc Rivers and C Dwight Howard received technical fouls in the second quarter. Pistons: Derrick Rose (left knee) missed the game. ... Detroit came in averaging a league-high 44.1 bench points per game. The Pistons had only 29 on Monday. UP NEXT 76ers: Host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night in what could be a matchup between conference leaders. Pistons: Visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Detroit lost to Cleveland 128-119 in double overtime Dec. 26. ___ Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Noah Trister, The Associated Press

  • Michigan athletes push back on shutdown after COVID-19 'super-spreader strain' found on campus

    A "coalition" of Michigan athletes pushed back against the decision to shut down athletic activities due to a "super-spreader strain" of COVID-19 on campus.

  • Sago, Schroeder part of NBA's first ref crew with 2 women

    With more female referees now in the NBA than ever before, it was only a matter of time before two women would be scheduled to work the same game. And Monday was that day. Natalie Sago and Jenna Schroeder make up two-thirds of the crew assigned to the Charlotte at Orlando game, the first time in NBA history that two women were assigned to work a regular-season contest together. Sean Wright was picked to be crew chief, Sago the referee and Schroeder the umpire. Sago and Schroeder have worked games together before; they were part of three-woman crews in the G League. But at the NBA level, it’s a first — and it’s a game they’ve been looking forward to since they saw it on the internally distributed schedule a month ago. The crews for games are not announced publicly until 9 a.m. Eastern on game days. “This is a big deal,” Schroeder said. “It’s like my feminist dreams come true, that like my personal values are colliding with my professional values and it’s awesome.” The NBA has used 76 officials so far this season; seven are women, already the most to work games during any season in league history. Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling, Ashley Moyer-Gleich, Simone Jelks, Danielle Scott, Dannica Mosher, Sago and Schroeder are all working games this season; Scott and Mosher are non-staff, the other five are members of the full-time NBA officiating roster. “It's so cool," Sago said. “All of us, we're so happy and excited to work together. We just have a good group of females, we're all close, we have great relationships and we share these moments." The original schedule called for another crew with two women for a game later this week. That lineup has since been switched, but Sago is certain this game won't be the NBA's last with multiple female refs. “It’s amazing,” Sago said. “I’m just proud to be part of an organization that promotes people to do the job based on our abilities, not on our gender, race, ethnicity, those types of things.” It’s not lost on Sago or Schroeder that this game comes amid a flurry of historic days for women, in the sports world and otherwise. Kamala Harris was sworn in last week as the first female Vice-President of the United States. Sarah Thomas will be the first woman to be on a Super Bowl officiating crew when she works the Tampa Bay-Kansas City game in Tampa next month. Sarah Fuller made headlines this past college football season as a kicker for Vanderbilt. “I wish my daughter was here to see this," Schroeder said. ___ More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press