A NEW wave of recruits have started work building military aircraft.

The seven young people have this month begun working at BAE Systems in Samlesbury where they will be involved in the support and maintenance of aircrafts such as the Hawk, Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets.

Their placements, part of the government backed Kickstart scheme which aims to help young people into work, will last for six months and will see them work across the company's project management, procurement and commercial departments.

BAE Systems Academy of Skills and Knowledge principal Nigel Davies said: “We’re delighted to be part of the Kickstart scheme and are hopeful that it will provide a new pipeline of talent for young people into our apprenticeship and graduate programmes as we continue to seek to recruit people from diverse backgrounds and help young people achieve their full potential.”

Meanwhile, more than 30 young people are now working across the company's UK sites, embarking on placements aimed at improving their chances of finding long-term work.

Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said: “It’s great to see BAE Systems brilliantly backing this Government’s Kickstart Scheme - helping our next generation of workers become engineers, technicians and train in high-quality roles, enabling them to develop the key skills to thrive in work.

“There is real potential for them to progress further into training and career opportunities across BAE Systems after the six months, highlighting how our Plan for Jobs is boosting long-term job prospects as we push to build back better and level up the country.”

The work on the aircraft comes as part Samlesbury-based BAE Systems' work developing the £2 billion Tempest fighter-bomb jet programme in Lancashire, which the company says it intends to continue with along with plans to build Typhoon fighter jets, dreadnought class nuclear submarines, and naval frigates across its other UK plants.