BAE Systems, which has a base in Samlesbury, has recruited 1,000 apprentices and graduates into its UK business this year.

In what the company says is its highest intake in history, BAE hired 118 apprentices and 45 graduates who will be based at its Warton and Samlesbury factories.

It is also training 10 apprentices for other North West aerospace firms through its employer ownership scheme.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Nigel Whitehead, group managing director, programmes and support, at BAE, said: “We have a long and proud history of nurturing young talent and we recognise the importance of providing consistently high levels of training.

“Each year we invest more than £80 million in education- and skills-related activities to ensure we are developing the right skills to meet the future demands of our business. The apprentices and graduates joining our business this year have exciting futures ahead of them, and many of them will end up playing pivotal roles in developing, building and supporting cutting-edge products that will safeguard national security in years to come.”

The company designs, manufactures and assembles world-class aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Hawk advanced jet trainer, at both sites, and trains apprentices at its centre in Preston ahead of the opening of a new £15 million academy in Samlesbury.

A spokesman said the company’s sought-after training programmes reflect its long-term commitment to delivering high-quality apprentice and graduate programmes and the aim is to ensure more young people have the right skills to meet future workload demands.

This year, for the first time, a group of apprentices will began their training on the new aerospace and airworthiness trailblazer apprenticeship programme, approved by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills in March.

The new standards, designed by BAE Systems and other companies in the sector, will ensure that apprentices receive consistently high-quality training and meet the needs of large companies and small businesses.