Two apprentices currently working for BAE have revealed what it is like being a part of the organisation.

In the last five years, BAE Systems has more than doubled the number of apprenticeships and expects to welcome more than 2,700 trainees to apprentice and graduate programmes in 2024 – its largest ever intake.

Cliona, 21, and Alina, 23, have described how they found themselves in the industry, what a typical day is like and why they would encourage people their age to consider the same apprenticeship.

Cliona, who lives in Walney, said: "I applied to the Degree apprenticeship scheme while in my final year of A-levels - my interest in nuclear technology started when I was completing my Extended Project Qualification.

"The best part of the job is the varied work, no two days are the same and the workload is constantly adapting to the current build needs - I also really enjoy seeing the submarines progress through different build stages."

The Mail: Cliona was working in a pub before joining BAECliona was working in a pub before joining BAE (Image: BAE)

This year, 30% of BAE new apprentices are female, compared with around 10% of the engineering apprentice intake in England overall.

"Everyone comes from a different walk of life and the lessons and value each member of every team you will be involved with, it's such a valuable experience," Alina explained.

"I didn’t have the 'typical' qualifications but I had the interest and I had the courage to make the jump and change career."

The Mail: Alina moved towards engineering and BAE to help boost her career prospectsAlina moved towards engineering and BAE to help boost her career prospects (Image: BAE)

Barrow is one of two multi-million pound state of the art training academies, with one at Samlesbury and another under construction in Glasgow.

Alina, who was previously studying Fashion Marketing, added: "I love the opportunities I have and how we are encouraged to take them, it's a chance to upskill or to learn your interests."

Cliona said: "Working in such a fast-paced environment, it is vital that you are able to commit to learning new skills and be open to feedback given by others to improve skills you already have."

The closing date for apprentice applications is February 28 2024 with graduate intakes throughout the year, including April, June and September.