We recognize that an inclusive and diverse workplace – where all employees feel respected, valued, and able to achieve their full potential – is vitally important. Not only does it inspire creativity and collaboration, it’s good for business. We celebrate our differences and believe our diverse skills, abilities, and perspectives strengthen our culture and our overall performance.
Our ambition is to be recognised as the leading employer in the defence and security sectors for valuing diversity and inclusion.
We are also ambitious to:
And,
We will continue to define our other ambitions with regards to diversity and inclusion.
We recognise there’s work to do, but we’re focused on attracting the best people to work here. We have 6 employee groups dedicated to our people, offering a range of support across our business in mental health awareness, gender equality, gender and sexual identity, cultural and ethnic diversity and support for our disabled community.
The Gender Equity Network (GEN) is for all BAE Systems employees in the UK who believe everyone should be given the opportunity and support to succeed in their career, regardless of gender. It’s an employee-run group and GEN’s ultimate goal is to no longer be needed, because gender barriers and biases will have been broken down in the workplace.
We’re committed to building a truly diverse, inclusive, and equitable place to work. By 2030 we want women to make up at least 50% of our Executive Committee and 30% of our workforce. Do you want to work on pioneering projects in a business where your skills, creativity and innovation are championed? As a female in STEM, we’ll give you all the support and opportunities you need to thrive.
Find out what life is like for a woman in tech at BAE Systems from some of our team.
Chanda is a DevOps Engineering Apprentice based in Leeds.
‘I’d wanted to get into tech for a while. And for a bit of context, I’m an older apprentice, I’m 32 and have a young child, and I had other jobs prior to coming here. I was always really worried about leaving a stable job for an apprenticeship and starting afresh, but after getting made redundant, rather than seeing that as a setback, I decided I was going to use it as an opportunity to pursue exactly what I wanted to do. It was all serendipitous, really, because BAE Systems were recruiting for DevOps engineering apprentices at the time. The stars had aligned, I felt it was meant to be.
As an apprentice I think there’s a perception that when you come into a company, you’re probably not going to have that much of an impact, but that’s not the case here. Six weeks after joining my current project, I was asked to lead on a technical demonstration for the client and senior stakeholders. The business has pushed me out of my comfort zone many times. That can be scary at times, but it’s the best place to be as an apprentice because it really helps me grow! It’s such valuable experience and it means that I’ve learned some completely new skill that I’m able to use again and again.
When I was applying for an apprenticeship, I naturally associated them with school leavers, college leavers, that sort of demographic. And I thought do I really want to be a 32-year-old apprentice? Then actually coming through it with no technical experience and learning the amount of stuff that I have in the last year, I’ve really surprised myself. I’m actually really, really proud that I am an apprentice. I feel as though I’m paving the way for other people out there that are similar to me in terms of age, in terms of their life experience and their responsibilities outside of work. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
The work we do here is important, it helps save lives and protects me. I’m not just doing this for me, I’m doing it for my son. I’m doing it for his future.’
‘I’d always wanted to work in defence since I was small as a lot of my family and friends are involved in the armed forces. I’m proud to be playing my part in protecting those that protect us all. I became interested in BAE Systems through an event at university and I’ve been here for six years now, having joined as a graduate on the Digital Intelligence programme.
It’s really interesting work and I’m very happy with what I’m doing. It’s satisfying to be learning something new and being challenged every day. I’ve had some great opportunities to develop myself including various systems engineering and software package training, also project management, and softer skills development.
The people here are really passionate about the business, but they’re humble and grounded. We’re encouraged to be bold and come up with innovative, creative solutions. The hybrid way of working means I can often work from home. In the Guildford office they have space for colleagues that are new parents returning after maternity leave to bring their children to work, which I think is amazing. We’re a diverse team, that’s supported by a great network of employee resource groups. There’s always someone to turn to for support no matter what you may need.’
‘After I left the armed forces, I decided to pursue a career as an independent consultant. However, the pull to come back into the defence sector proved too strong to resist. The transition from the military to a role on ‘civvy street’ isn’t always easy or straightforward, I had my fair share of hurdles to overcome.
I joined BAE Systems as a business analyst with very little experience of the role, but I’ve had incredible support over the last three years to help me succeed. Last year, I worked towards my Business Analysis Diploma, which was fully funded by the business, and I have a number of other professional certifications that I’ve completed this year. The business had the confidence to invest in me, which is really reassuring.
VetNet came about because when I joined the company, initially, I had some teething issues coming into the corporate world, and there wasn’t much assistance, or any kind of support group that you could call upon. So, I saw a real opportunity to pick something up and run with it and develop it. In a nutshell, VetNet is a safe place where we throw a ‘veteran hug’ around existing veterans and reservists as well as new employees coming into the business, because we appreciate that it can be overwhelming. It’s good to have a place where we all speak the same language and no question is a stupid question. It’s something I’m really, really passionate about and I’m so glad that VetNet is going from strength to strength. We now have over 550 members across the business, and it’s growing every month. Sometimes, in the military, it can feel like a struggle to make progress in your career. But at BAE Systems it’s all about stepping forward and saying how you want to develop. They’ve given me nothing but encouragement and have been really, really supportive.’
