Panel session: skills and opportunities in the north west aero & defence sector

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW FOR THIS FREE PANEL SESSION

The North West is home to one of the largest clusters of manufacturing excellence in the UK and - in the shape of the Global Combat Air Program - key elements of one of the most ambitious defence aerospace projects on the planet. 

However, to ensure it has the skills in place to deliver on its ambitions the sector faces pressing skills challenges across the value chain.  For instance, in the case of BAE Systems - which is the partner for this session - this means recruiting an estimated 1000 new engineers a year just to stand still.

During this session we will hear first-hand from employers and experts from across the region about the skills challenges and opportunities presented by these projects and the measures employers are taking to address these challenges.

We will explore the projects and trends that are shaping the skills requirements of the sector and look at some of the measures that employers are taking to meet these skills requirements: whether its new approaches to attracting, retaining & upskilling staff; capturing the knowledge of experts leaving the sector; or tapping into and attracting engineers from other areas of industry. 

Panelists include:

• Iain Minton - Delivery Director, Technology & Capability BAE Systems
• Prof Andrew Schofield - Chair - North West Aerospace Alliance 
• Andy Pearson - Senior Business Director, Hays Recruitment