OCTOBER 2019 SKILLS
Guiding principles for the future of industry
BAE Systems has outlined six guiding principles for the development
of future skills within the business:
1Commit to retraining and upskilling. We will need to continue
working with our employees to understand our existing capabilities
and our specifi c future skills requirements, and to ensure continuous
professional development programmes are in place.
2Continue to support our suppliers and SMEs so that they can
develop skills in the digitally-enabled workplace. Our sector must
learn from successful partnership activities like the Made Smarter
programme, to identify which endeavours best support SMEs.
3Create a more diverse, inclusive and fl exible workplace. BAE
Systems and others in our sector must create a more attractive place
to work by refl ecting di erent working preferences and lifestyles.
4Prioritise investment in digital, soft and behavioural skills for our
existing and future workforce to meet the needs of our military and
commercial customers and capitalise on the fourth industrial revolution.
5 Continue to improve the perception of STEM subjects and careers
in a joint programme of nationwide activity with government,
education, professional bodies and fellow employers. We must consider
how to incorporate the design and problem-solving elements of arts
subjects in the more traditional approach to STEM careers.
6 Continue to champion
vocational training
and support government
endeavours to improve
e ective application of the
Apprentice Levy.
Donna Edwards, head of the Made Smarter
North West pilot programme, says businesses
that don’t evolve staff skills alongside and in
partnership with their larger customers will be
left behind.
Small businesses can ask colleges, industry
bodies and growth hubs for support with training,
she suggests. Often these companies don’t have
the resources to take young people on work
experience and there is a nationwide lack of
training at Levels 4 and 5 – from the end of school
through to degree-level equivalent.
The whitepaper continues: “We know that
our sector may not always have instant appeal
for young people – particularly young women.
As a company we must continue to work harder
to communicate the enormously rich variety of
technology careers we off er and how they relate to
curriculum STEM subjects such as maths, physics
and computer science.
“The only way to do this is by partnering
with educators and government and trying to
understand and alter perceptions of STEM
careers among teachers and parents. We also
need to reassure young people that their existing
skills are relevant to our sector.”
With the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy,
BAE Systems takes its schools roadshow to
420 schools a year reaching more than 100,000
pupils. It funds imaginative STEM resources
created by experts such as the Royal Academy of
Engineering. It also meets tens of thousands of
children, their parents and teachers at science
fairs such as The Big Bang, which is organised by
EngineeringUK, and promotes apprenticeships to
teenagers at the WorldSkills UK Live exhibition.
“Supporting teachers alongside students is
fundamental,” says Yvonne Baker, chief executive
of STEM Learning the UK’s leading STEM
training provider. “Providing teachers with
STEM-specifi c professional development, STEM
Ambassadors, resources and STEM Clubs are all
key ingredients in
the world-leading
STEM education
every young person
deserves and needs.”
New ways of thinking
Evolving workplaces and
working environments are a
huge benefi t to organisations
that rely on technological
developments to maintain
their competitive edge and
grow, says the whitepaper.
“Individuals in our business
and young people could act as
‘change agents’, introducing
new ways of thinking, working
and challenging the status quo.
But our experienced people will
need to work with colleagues
who respect and value their
knowledge.
“Discussing these issues
openly, debating and problemsolving
is the culture we aspire
to. Working on our employer
proposition and challenging
traditional views of the defence,
aerospace and security sector
will also be critical to our future
skills pipeline.”
Natalie Sigona, head
of diversity and inclusion
at BAE Systems, adds that
manufacturers should be
attracting a broad range of
talents: “We need introverts,
extroverts, left-brain thinkers,
right-brain thinkers, young
minds, experienced minds
and so on; true diversity in
personality, attitude and
approach. Young people
can bring a diff erent and
fresh thinking mind set and
experienced workers can bring
knowledge and expertise. Digital
natives could give the rest of us
more confi dence to embrace
new and unique technology.”
Nigel Whitehead, chief
technology offi cer at BAE
Systems, concludes: “I have
often described BAE Systems
as being a custodian of
sovereign skills. Our people
are able to design and build
defence, aerospace and security
products, equipment and
services that keep our nation
safe. It is a responsibility we
take extremely seriously, and we
are determined to do everything
we can to help maintain these
nationally important skills.
“We have set out six guiding
principles for our business
and sector that we consider
helpful for delivering this
responsibility. Fundamentally,
we believe that successful
action requires a concerted
and co-ordinated eff ort across
government, industry and the
education sector.
“Skill shortages are real –
we need to act now, but we
can’t act alone.”
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk 23
All images courtesy of BAE Systems
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk