Babcock leads new STEM pilot in Plymouth

Image courtesy Babcock 

The pilot is part of a wider package of investment under the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS) aimed at addressing critical skills gaps in engineering, cyber and other defence sectors. 

Details of the pilot were unveiled at the end of last year at Babcock’s Engineering Skills: Powering UK Defence event in Parliament. 

Babcock will lead and coordinate a package of STEM engagement activities for local schools, prioritising those with little to no prior STEM engagement. The Plymouth pilot which will serve as a model for future UK regional STEM programmes, demonstrating the value of industry led engagement in areas with significant defence activity.

STEM sessions under the pilot will begin in March/April 2026 until the end of the academic year (July 2026).

Neil Young, Babcock’s Global Engineering Capability Director, is leading the pilot. He said: “The world needs more engineers and we need them now. As a major UK defence company, Babcock delivers both employment and economic growth,  investing in skills development and future talent across the UK and beyond. Demand for sovereign engineering skills continues to soar and partnerships like this are vital in helping us to secure the skills and talent pipeline needed to underpin national security.“  

“Our mission is to break down barriers and make engineering accessible, available and within reach of every schoolchild in the country.”

At the Engineering skills: Powering UK Defence event, Babcock’s Chief People Officer, Louise Atkinson, spoke of the breadth of skills programmes Babcock was investing in from welding and cyber apprenticeships through to career paths for veterans.

Over the next five years, an additional 834,000 jobs are expected to be created in clean energy, defence, digital and housebuilding industries, bringing the combined workforce across these sectors to 5.3 million by 2030.