Hundreds of new defence jobs after 'record' funding

BAE Systems is recruiting more than 2,000 roles across the UK

Britain's biggest defence firm has said it will create more than 350 new jobs across the south of England thanks to a record amount of funding.

BAE Systems said Essex, Hampshire and Kent would benefit from UK-wide spending of £1bn on education, training and skills.

Some 90 jobs are also expected to be created in the south west, including in Dorchester and Weymouth in Dorset.

Francesca Di Mascio, a first year electrical engineering apprentice at BAE Systems' Naval Ships business, said her job was "everything I'd hoped for".

"I joined BAE Systems because job security is important to me and I wanted to work in a hands-on environment," she said.

"Doing an apprenticeship is a great opportunity to earn while you learn and this is the first time I've really felt valued after joining a business."

Francesca Di Mascio said she loved her apprenticeship at BAE Systems

Much of the funding will be spent on apprentice, undergraduate and graduate roles - which the company said would make up about 15% of its UK workforce once the positions were filled.

The company said it was trying to increase its diversity as part of the recruitment process.

'A leading light'

New undergraduate and graduate roles take the total number of new positions across the UK to 2,414.

370 of those will be in south and south east England, including 78 new apprenticeship roles in Maritime Services in Portsmouth and Cowes.

Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said BAE Systems was "a leading light in the UK defence industry".

"This investment is a vote of confidence in the UK as a leader for cutting-edge employment, creating highly skilled jobs across the UK," he said.