Humberside Airport set to be home to BAE training academy

A NEW £5m BAE Systems national training academy is to be built at Humberside Airport.

The academy will provide up to 60 apprentice opportunities every year resulting in more than 150 new jobs over three years.

The development, with work starting on Friday, is a joint venture between British multinational defence organisation BAE Systems, Humberside Airport, aviation, aerospace, rail, automotive and defence resourcing business Resource group’s aviation technical training division and North Lincolnshire Council.

The National Academy, set to be supported through the Regional Growth Fund, will become the UK’s central hub for BAE Systems to train apprentices for the maintenance and servicing of UK fighter jets and to support International Export contracts. 

Modelled on Resource Group’s existing state-of-the-art training facilities, the new academy will incorporate a hanger, training aircraft, classrooms and practical training workshops.

BAE Systems will take on up to four cohorts of 15 apprentices (60 in total) each year, on a two-year apprenticeship, who will be trained to NVQ level three.  It is planned to include one cohort directly from the Humber University Technical College (UTC).  They will follow a 24-month programme split between academic modules and on-the-job practical training usually at RAF Coningsby (Typhoon), RAF Marham (Tornado) or RAF Valley (Hawk).

Once qualified, they will become part of the BAE Systems team, working alongside the RAF in supporting the fast-jet fleets at RAF Conningsby and RAF Marham. The trainees are mobile and flexible and could transfer to bases abroad to support International Export programmes.

The Training Academy will be named the R J Mitchell Aircraft Maintenance Academy, after Reginald Mitchell, who started his career as an apprentice in Nottingham. He went on to become a British aeronautical engineer, designing around 24 aircraft, including the famous World War 2 fighter – Supermarine Spitfire, arguably the predecessor of today’s fast jets.

From December, apprentices will be based at a temporary base at the airport. The new academy will be completed by October 2015. Hull-based company, Gro Houlton Construction, will build the new site.

This news follows last week’s announcement that a new £7m hotel is to be built at Humberside Airport.

Coun Liz Refern, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “This exciting development will help raise the profile of engineering as a career path for young people and provide fantastic opportunities. Work on the new Humber University Technical College (UTC) is well underway and will also specialise in engineering, so the two projects will complement each other. It is great news that the new Training Academy will provide Humber UTC students with apprenticeship opportunities. Together with expansion plans at the Airport with the new luxury hotel, this is the perfect location for the training academy.”

Martin Blaze, director of aircraft maintenance and support at BAE Systems, added: “This academy gives us the opportunity to develop the individuals to the highest level of competence to ensure safe operations. We also anticipate that BAE Systems personnel from places such as Saudi Arabia and Oman will also come to this facility to be trained to then return to work in country, which will be a huge feather in the cap of all concerned.”

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