VIDEO

At a time when the lack of career opportunities for young people is very much in the spotlight, our Early Careers programmes at the Home of British Helicopters in Yeovil are supporting the next generation of aerospace professionals.

Over the years, thousands of young people aged 16 to 24 have kick-started their careers by taking one of our well-established apprenticeships routes or by joining the business in a variety of graduate roles.

Many have stayed with Leonardo for the long term, progressing into leadership positions, up to and including Leonardo UK Chair and CEO Clive Higgins, who joined the business as a Mechanical Engineering apprentice based in Yeovil in 1994.

“I think the strength our apprenticeship and graduate pathways are the solid foundation they give young people to build a meaningful career with Leonardo,” says Mike Rose, who heads up the Early Careers team in Yeovil. “Each course develops core skills and expertise, alongside exposure to different aspects of our organisation, which means our young people have a huge range of opportunities to grow their careers over time.”

My story

We spoke to three young people about their career journey with Leonardo, to understand their experiences so far…

Jessica Sanchez - Previous Engineering Graduate

Jess joined Leonardo’s two-year graduate scheme in 2023 after studying Aerospace Engineering at Queen Mary University of London. She now works in a full-time role as an Obsolescence Engineer on the AW101 Merlin.

“I knew I wanted to work in the aerospace industry, but I wasn’t sure which specialism to choose. The Leonardo graduate scheme was perfect because the placements give you experience in lots of different areas of the business.

“I chose the Product Support Engineering graduate scheme, which was a great learning curve – dealing with in-service aircraft and having direct contact with end-users. I’ve also spent time at customer locations such as RNAS Culdrose and RNAS Yeovilton.

“For me, it’s all about being open to new challenges. I had the opportunity to speak in Parliament which was thrilling and very rewarding. I spoke about how the defence sector contributes to social mobility and the UK economy. The NMH programme is a great example of this. And I’ve been closely involved with the AeroWomen initiative to celebrate women’s contribution to the sector and to encourage more women to consider a career in aerospace.” 

Finley Parsons - 2nd Year Technical Apprentice

Finley is approaching the end of second year of his four-year Technical Apprenticeship. Having spent a year at college, followed by on-the-job training on site, he is about to start a placement with the Chief Project Engineering team for the New Medium Helicopter (NMH) programme.

“The thing I like the most about the Technical Apprenticeship is the variety – it can take you anywhere. My first placement was in Rotors Design, working on the AW101, and for the past three months I’ve been working in Structures Design, also focused on the AW101.

“Structures involves the whole aircraft, so you are looking at something new every day. Most recently, I’ve been involved in a project looking at vibration reduction technology and the associated potential weight saving on the aircraft.

“I’m looking forward to working on the NMH and seeing a new class of helicopter take shape here in Yeovil. I also have a family connection in that my dad worked on the original design concepts, and now years later I will also get to be involved.”

Jazmin Tucker - 4th Year Mechanical Apprentice

Jaz is coming to the end of her Craft Apprenticeship and is taking on the full-time role of Skilled Composite Fitter. She was inspired to pursue a career in aerospace after taking part in our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) outreach programme while at secondary school.

“The STEM programme opened my eyes to the potential of a career with Leonardo. I knew that the university route wasn’t for me and the apprenticeship has allowed me to get a qualification, have on-the-job training and also earn a wage.

“My first placement was in the sheet metal shop, developing those basic mechanical skills. Since then, I’ve worked on Wildcat, Merlin and older Lynx models and most recently in the blades shop, learning to work with composite materials.

“I enjoy the hands-on aspect of the job and in the future I plan to work towards a team leadership position. Like everyone, I’m delighted that Yeovil will play a big role in the NMH programme. It shines a light on our capabilities here and hopefully will lead to more work in the future.”

A new era with NMH

The award of the £1bn NMH contract to build, deliver and support a new fleet of AW149 medium lift helicopters for the UK Armed Forces is not only great news for the Yeovil site, it will also create myriad opportunities for young people to advance their careers with Leonardo.

With AW149 helicopters due to be built, delivered and supported in the UK, the NMH programme will offer wide-ranging career pathways over the next decade and beyond.

Mike Morrisroe, Head of UK Campaigns, was involved from the very beginning of the NMH procurement. He says that UK MOD placed significant weight on both UK industrial contribution and social value in its decision-making.

“Much of the NMH programme activity will be conducted in Yeovil, and within the wider UK supply chain, with future exports of AW149 being built in Yeovil.

“From a people perspective this will offer existing and future trainees and employees the opportunity to work on AW149 across a wide range of disciplines from design, integration, testing, and aircraft build, through to support and training for the fleet as well as future export customers.”

Enhancing social value

In terms of social value, one of the key aims is to broaden and multiply employment opportunities to benefit the community and the wider supply chain.
Activities will include introduction of new Level 2 Manufacturing apprenticeships with no formal qualification barriers, widening access to young people. There will also be Level 6 Project Management apprenticeships available to build higher level capability.

We’re expanding our STEM outreach programme to engage more schools and to create a Year 6-12 STEM roadmap for sustained progression. The outreach programme will see us work alongside 14 local schools and colleges, aligned with social mobility and diversity needs. It will also be supported by our employees, with 4,000 employee hours a year committed to outreach projects.

Another commitment is to build on our existing SEND (Special Educational Needs) supported internships programme, which has been running successfully since 2024 and will now expand to include five more suppliers. The programme provides structured six- to 12-month placements with job-coach support and clear pathways towards employment.

“These are just some of the social value initiatives that form part of our commitment to the NMH programme,” says Morrisroe. “When you combine these with the 85+ skillsets needed to design, develop, test and fly our helicopters, we believe that the NMH programme will play an important role in developing valuable sovereign defence skills while helping young people achieve an exciting and purpose-driven career with Leonardo.”

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