Babcock has welcomed more than 800 apprentices, graduates and undergraduates across its UK operations as part of its 2026 early careers intake, the defence company has announced. The new starters were welcomed during Tomorrow’s Engineers Week and Scottish Careers Week, which run from 9 to 13 November.

The intake spans the full range of the company’s work, from the heritage trades that have supported the defence sector for generations to the digital and technology roles that are becoming central to modern programmes. New recruits are starting careers in welding, electrical and mechanical engineering, fabrication and manufacturing, alongside software engineering, data analytics, cyber security and digital engineering.

From welding to cyber security

Technology is also changing the traditional trades themselves. Babcock says its employees are increasingly using advanced digital tools alongside their craft, from scanning and modelling software to additive manufacturing and 3D printing.

Together, the new apprentices and graduates will support work across the land, sea, air, cyber and space domains, contributing to some of the UK’s most important defence and national security programmes. As defence systems become more connected, autonomous and data-driven, the company says the skills of the new intake will help shape how future platforms are designed, operated and supported.

Skills for the future of defence

Harry Holt, Babcock’s group chief executive, said: “Our apprentices and graduates are at the heart of our future success. Defence is evolving rapidly, and so are the skills needed to support it.”

He added that by investing in emerging talent, the company is creating rewarding careers while making sure the UK has the expertise needed to deliver sovereign defence capability for decades to come.

The investment is linked to Babcock’s recently launched Engineering the Future of Defence skills study, developed with the University of Oxford’s SKOPE research centre. The study looks at how the UK can build the engineering and technical workforce needed for future defence capability, with growing demand for expertise in artificial intelligence, cyber security, advanced manufacturing and autonomous systems.

National recognition for training

The announcement comes as Babcock continues to gain national recognition for its investment in workforce development. The company has risen from 29th to 12th in the Department for Education’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers rankings, and has secured a place in the Top 20 of The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2026, as well as a place in its Top 100 Graduate Employers list for the second year running.

Babcock says it is creating around 1,600 emerging talent roles across the 2025/26 period as part of its wider commitment to developing the next generation of engineers and technicians. Applications for its apprenticeship and graduate programmes are made through the company’s Early Careers website, where candidates can search current vacancies across its marine, nuclear, land and aviation businesses.