High flyers: career opportunities in civil aerospace

Many a decision to pursue a career in aerospace will have been made at the Farnborough Airshow, an event that gives the sector a showcase for its products that few industries can rival.

On the eve of the latest show, however, the UK’s aerospace jobseekers could be forgiven for a touch of apprehension. The industry has felt its share of pain in the recession and uncertainty about future defence budgets will hardly help.

Despite this, aerospace remains one of the UK’s key assets and a major provider of the type of technology-led jobs that the new government has made a priority to develop. The domestic industry employs more than 100,000 people in the UK and a further 50,000 overseas. With an average salary some 43 per cent higher than the national mean, its jobs are valuable to the economy.

UK aerospace is carving out strong positions in areas that could see growth over the next decade, including advanced materials, more environmentally benign aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.