TXM World

With the tough times in the economy and the very competitive job market, it has never been harder for young people to find work. A recent report has shown the number of 19-24-year-olds out of work has gone up dramatically, from 6,260 to 60,955 since 2000, going up by 264 per cent in the last year alone.

Though most are unpaid, getting valuable work experience in a relevant working environment will certainly help improve your chances of finding a permanent position in the future.

Whilst some industries are constantly on the lookout for apprentices and work experience placements are much easier to find, in some industries it can be much harder to locate which companies offer them.

If you’re looking for experience in the Aerospace industry, below are a few resources that should help you in your search;

Firstly, find out which local Aerospace & Defence companies are local to you. You can find this easily at ADS (Aerospace, Defence, Securities) group. There are even a number of regional consortia which could be the best place to start. The main ones being:

• The North West Aerospace Alliance
• The Midlands
• Farnborough Aerospace Consortium
• West of England Aerospace Forum
• Aerospace Wales

• GKN Aerospace offer apprenticeships and graduate programmes
• And Marshall Aerospace offer advanced apprenticeships
• If you’re looking for Undergraduate Degree Courses
• BAE Systems offer a number of programmes based in regional aircraft, Military air, Maritime and Electronic Systems.

The skills you develop as part of an aerospace related degree are also useful in other engineering and manufacturing sectors; Oil & Gas, renewable energy, automotive etc. The point I raised earlier about relevancy is important, some industrial engineering or manufacturing experience while you are doing your degree is the key, and so if you can’t find an Aerospace company, try companies in other similar industry sectors as they’ll provide you with transferable skills.

Unfortunately what this means is hard work during your summer holiday. You have to be pro-active and contact as many companies in a professional and open way as possible. Believe me, it will be worth it!