New training academy to be built at Humberside Airport

A new £5m BAE Systems National training academy is to be built at Humberside Airport. It will provide up to 60 apprentice opportunities every year resulting in over 150 new jobs over three years.

Senior officials will turn the first sod to mark the start of work, on Friday 24 October at Humberside Airport’s first ever BAE Systems graduation event, where around 70 people will be presented with awards. There will be a special ‘Spitfire’ fly-past.

This exciting development is a joint venture between British multinational defence organisation BAE Systems, Humberside Airport, 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. Resource Group will be providing a totally managed service including assets, facilities, training and accommodation.

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 successful 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.