BAE Systems sustains more than 40,000 North West jobs

A new report has concluded that BAE Systems sustains a total of 41,200 jobs and spends £450m with 750 suppliers in the North West.

The research, carried out by Oxford Economics, shows that BAE Systems directly employs 22,400 across its sites in Samlesbury, Warton and Barrow-in-Furness. This figure accounts for almost 60 per cent of its total workforce.

Around 19,000 more jobs are sustained through the contractors, trade unions and suppliers BAE Systems engaged with across the region.

The company is also planning to hire thousands more experienced professionals and early careers trainees this year across the North West, at Warton, Samlesbury and Barrow-in-Furness where the business will grow significantly over the next few years. The wealth of opportunities available include careers in software and systems engineering, manufacturing and procurement.

Across the UK, BAE Systems supported 132,000 jobs and contributed £11bn to GDP – equivalent to 0.4 per cent of the domestic economy.

Almost 40 per cent of the company’s employees are based in the UK’s most deprived areas, where long-term employment opportunities are especially important. To support learning and development in these communities and across its workforce, the company spent £180m on education and skills last year, almost doubling its annual investment since the previous year.

As well as supporting educational outreach in local schools and colleges, this investment allows BAE Systems to provide lifelong development for its workforce, using bespoke facilities such as its Academies for Skills and Knowledge in Samlesbury and Barrow.

Last year, the company recruited more than 1,400 apprentices and graduates in the North West alone and the Ofsted Outstanding training provided in these academies helps ensure they receive the best possible start to their careers.

Strong partnerships across industry, academia and SMEs are a vital part of BAE Systems’ work and the company invested £1.4bn in research and development last year, both self-funded and on behalf of its customers, helping sustain the UK’s valuable engineering and technology sectors.

BAE Systems has operations around the world and is one of Britain’s leading exporters. In 2022, the Company exported £3.7bn of goods and services from the UK, including Typhoon aircraft manufactured in Lancashire. This is equivalent to almost 0.5 per cent of all UK exports and is set to continue as its site in Barrow-in-Furness takes a leading role in delivering the new SSN-AUKUS submarines for Australia.

Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems chief executive, said: “As one of the UK’s largest employers, we recognise our responsibility to help deliver economic prosperity as well as national security.

"Our continued investment in skills, technology and the communities where we live and work supports thousands of jobs and is creating opportunities for people to play an important role in helping to keep our country and our allies safe."