The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
‘We can give young people the opportunity to flourish’
JAXON MCCRACKEN AND CAROLINE CLUCAS, HEAD OF EA RLY CAREERS & SKILLS - NAVAL SHIPS, BAE SYSTEMS
IT WAS in her first year at an all-girls secondary school that Jaxon Mccracken got a taste for electrical engineering, when BAE Systems hosted a workshop there.
“They wanted to get more girls into engineering. They let us work on circuit boards and it was quite technical,” she says.
“I’ve always been interested in working at BAE because they are right next to me. I wanted to do electrical engineering – it’s cool to me and interesting.”
Jaxon has high praise for her Work Coach who supported her career choice, and she has tapped into all the support available.
An open day at BAE Systems organised by the Jobcentre Employability Hub led to a place on the Prince’s Trust Movement to Work programme and BAE Systems Get into Engineering scheme. She had to complete a two-week project researching all aspects of a ship, from the history of shipbuilding to how it floats.
When a Kickstart opportunity became available at BAE Systems, Jaxon jumped at the chance and her successful application means she’ll be starting an Operation Steelwork post in April – and she can’t wait.
“I’m very excited to start. I’ve not been able to do anything in lockdown. I miss the routine and I miss socialising.”
It’s not electrical engineering – she’ll be working with steel cutting, fabricating and welding - but she hopes it will lead on to other things with BAE Systems, such as an apprenticeship.
Caroline Clucas, Head of Early Careers and Skills – Naval Ships, BAE Systems, says the company is supporting a number of Kickstart placements across the UK, with five of them in Scotland, and it’s a chance to have a real taste of what working there is like.
BAE Systems has a history of giving job experience and placements to young people: it provided 620 placements through the Prince’s Trust Movement to Work programme, 60 per cent of which went on to get jobs with BAE Systems, local employers or further training.
The company has taken on 850 apprentices and 400 graduates too.
Kickstart opens the doors to even more youngsters and the opportunities are wide-ranging, from engineering to project management, HR to finance.
“We have worked really hard to diversify what we can offer and welcome young people from a wide range of backgrounds to our organisation,” explains Caroline, saying it benefits companies too.
“Young people bring new perspectives and help the company continually innovate.
“We can give them the opportunity to flourish that they might not get.”