The UKDSC visited two of BAE Systems’ Air sector sites, in the North-West of England, to see the excellent work and investment being made to ensure the UK retains its position as a global leader in Military and Combat Air. The UKDSC team visited the Typhoon final assembly facilities, which are not only delivering export aircraft but also sustaining the skills and knowledge required to design and build future air platforms. The team also visited the impressive F-35 ‘Lightning’ advanced manufacturing facilities and received briefings by Team Tempest on the UK’s plans for its Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
Skills development and advanced capabilities are paramount to sustaining the UK’s position in this globally competitive sector, our visit to the BAE Systems Academy for Skills & Knowledge (ASK) demonstrated how the company is meeting the human capital demands of today with the needs of tomorrow. The ASK was built in 2016 with an initial £15.6m investment by the company to train its current and future workforce, with thousands of apprentices and employees using the facility each year. Samira Braund (UKDSC CEO) commented “I was very impressed to see the commitment and investment being made by BAE Systems to develop its people, skills and the advanced capabilities needed to design and deliver future Air Systems programmes , such as Tempest.
