The programme, set up to develop the sixth-generation fighter jet to join the RAF’s fleet from 2035, already employs over 1,000 people across UK industry and the MOD is planning to increase that number to over 2,500 by 2021 through its new recruitment drive. At the inaugural RAF Inspire event in MOD Main Building to mark the contribution of RAF personnel who have driven innovation and change Mark Lancaster announced the drive to attract young recruits to careers in the Air Force.
The drive will focus on attracting young people with an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM). Recruiters will visit schools, colleges, and events across the country.
Mark Lancaster, Defence Minister, said: “Team Tempest offers thousands of young recruits an exciting opportunity to work on a crucial programme securing our dynamic combat air power in the decades to come.”
“This recruitment drive demonstrates our enduring commitment to securing and advancing the careers of some of the brightest minds in the UK.”
The team will provide resources to schools and colleges as well as engaging in a social media campaign to recruit young people. Alongside the Defence Minister and the Chief of the Air Staff, a BAE Systems graduate named Mollie Dunmore, who is currently working in the Tempest Hydraulics team, addressed the audience on the opportunities the Team Tempest programme provided for her.
At the event, the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshall Stephen Hillier announced a £50,000 investment for the National Flying Laboratory (NFL) at Cranfield University. Cranfield University’s current projects include developing advanced sensors that will make helicopter engines more efficient and a ground-breaking project designing the world’s first ‘flapless’ plane, the Demon, in a partnership with BAE Systems.
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Defence Minister Mark Lancaster education RAF recruitment STEM STEM Outreach Team Tempest