BAE Systems Australia has welcomed its largest cohort of aerospace apprentices across New South Wales and South Australia, as the company builds its local workforce capabilities to meet the operational needs of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) well into the future. A team of 19 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) apprentices have begun their career journey at TAFE NSW Tighes Hill, before moving on to BAE Systems’ Williamtown Aerospace facility and RAAF Base Williamtown where they will support the sustainment of the F-35 Lightning II and Hawk Lead-In Fighter.
Aircraft Maintenance Engineers specialise in a Mechanical, Structural or Avionics trades over their four-year apprenticeship and are vital to the maintenance, upgrade, repair, and overhaul of Defence aircraft, ensuring they are always mission ready. Qualified AMES work across RAAF bases, at the BAE Systems Aerospace precinct at Williamtown or are embedded in RAAF squadrons nationwide to provide air vehicle support services.
At Edinburgh Parks, in Adelaide’s north, eight Mechanical (Machining) Apprentices from the Advanced Manufacturing team are training to produce complex titanium components for the conventional take-off and landing variant of global F-35 aircraft.
Advanced skillsThe South Australian-based apprentices are building a range of advanced skills, including manual machining, fitting, and assembly, to help support our innovative defence projects as well as the F-35 Programme. The aerospace cohort is part of a wider intake of more than 260 graduates, apprentices and interns recruited across BAE Systems’ Australian operations in 2025.
The continued growth in our labour force underscores the work by the company and its collaboration with organisations such as TAFE NSW and TAFE SA to help establish life-long and valued careers for people in Australia’s critical defence industry.
“BAE Systems Australia is creating the defence industry workforce of the future to help maintain and strengthen our air capabilities which are crucial to Australia’s security,” said Andrew Chapman, Director Aerospace at BAE Systems Australia. A highly skilled and resilient local workforce is imperative to ensuring aircraft are capable and available for Defence, and BAE Systems Australia is an integral partner in helping to grow that sovereign pipeline of talent.”
He concluded: “Our aerospace apprentices across the country are the critical future element of BAE Systems Australia’s advanced manufacturing, maintenance, repair, overhaul, and upgrade capabilities that provide the fundamental input to capability generation for the Royal Australia Air Force and the F-35 platform.”