This gives them opportunities to discuss important matters with our teaching teams and support staff.

It also serves to inform them about our curriculum and any changes to further education in general.

Looking for a new Career? Looking for your next Hire? The UK Careers Fair returns to Southampton on Friday 12th June.

Location: National Oceanography Centre - Southampton

BAE, Cowes

Date: Wednesday 24^th June 2026

Time: 09:00 - 15:00

Venue: Solent Hotel & Spa (Fareham)

To sign up to this event, please complete this short booking form: https://forms.gle/kscqH5uRPE1xoD7E9

Importantly, full and partial funding may be available for eligible young people, helping to ensure that cost does not become a barrier to participation.

Participants stay on our waterfront campus and spend the week developing confidence, teamwork and resilience while experiencing a range of exciting water-based activities and learning about the wide variety of careers available within the maritime industry.

We currently have the following residential dates available:

 
• 27th – 31st July 2026
• 3rd – 7th August 2026
• 10th – 14th August 2026
• 16th – 20th August 2026

Programme Overview

The programme offers a varied mix of practical activity and industry insight, including:

• Water-based activities such as yachting, keelboating, stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking, and an introduction to sea survival

• A blend of sailing and watersports alongside maritime industry workshops, including introductions to marine engineering and vessel maintenance

• Interactive yacht simulator sessions

• Industry talks and career insight sessions delivered by professionals from across the maritime sector

• Residential delivery on the UKSA campus, with all food and accommodation included

• High instructor-to-participant ratios with strong pastoral and welfare support throughout the week

For many young people — particularly those from inland areas — the programme provides a unique opportunity to experience the coast, try watersports, and gain insight into maritime career pathways while developing valuable life and employability skills.

Cost and Funding Support

The full cost of the five-day residential programme is £525 per person, which includes all accommodation, meals, equipment and tuition.

Through our Sea Change Fund, UKSA offers fully funded, part-funded and self-funded places, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent young people from accessing the programme.

Funding support includes:

• Fully funded places for young people experiencing financial hardship (for example those receiving Free School Meals, Pupil Premium or Universal Credit)
• 50% funded places for young people from households earning below the UK median income (£50,000)
• Self-funded places for those who do not meet the above criteria

Funding is assessed on a case-by-case basis via a short application form, either submitted individually or as part of a group booking.

• Early bird deadline is Friday 27th March 2026

• Round 1 deadline is Friday 22nd May 2026

• Round 2 deadline is Friday 10th July 2026

You will be notified on the outcome of your application 1 week after the application deadline. If successful, your programme is automatically confirmed for 2026-27 and we will be in touch about next steps.

Check your eligibility: There are a limited number of funded programme places for maintained / non-fee paying schools and colleges in their first year working with us. You can check your eligibility here before applying, or email any questions on accelerator@skillsbuilder.org. 

Download top tips to support you to submit a successful application here. 

Apply - UK Accelerator

BAE Systems are offering a Virtual Work Experience Programmes for 14 – 18 year olds this Summer:

Placement dates 22 June – 26 June 2026

Virtual

Placement location

Age banding 14 – 18 year olds

Online application opens 18 March 2026

Online application closes 27 April 2026

Our virtual 5-day programme will guide them through a real-life engineering challenge. Including live teaching sessions, group discussions, collaboration activities, independent research and Q&A opportunities with our apprentices and experienced engineers. An engineering-based project will be completed over the week and students will present their work to a selection of BAE Systems Ambassadors on the final day.

On completion of the programme you will receive a Silver Industrial Cadet certificate, awarded by the Engineering Development Trust.

BAE Systems Work Experience Programmes close for application (a minimum of) 8 weeks prior to the advertised start date, or sooner once a sufficient number of applications are received. Therefore, early application is advised.

Students can expect to receive the outcome of their online application approximately 5 weeks before the scheduled placement start date.

To get started, complete the online form at: Work Experience Job | Virtual | BAE Systems

Any questions? Please contact maritimelandoutreach@baesystems.com

Students will learn about our work, meet some of our brilliant female colleagues, take part in an Engineering Challenge and explore key career skills.

This event will be held at Portsmouth Guildhall.

To apply for this opportunity, please email maritimelandoutreach@baesystems.com
Places allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have any questions about the above opportunity, please do contact us.

On Saturday 13 June 2026 the port will host an open day so residents can see behind the scenes and find more out about all the activities at their port. More than 1,800 people attended in 2023 and of those surveyed after the event, 90% said they would come again. In addition to promoting the port, the open day involves partner organisations showcasing their activities, which includes harbour tours, onboard vessel visits and an equipment showcase.

Book free tickets here: Port community open day 2026 Tickets, Saturday, June 13  •  10 AM - 4 PM | Eventbrite

So, your child is thinking about an Apprenticeship as their next step after school or college? Unsure of what the options are and what this means?

Come and join us for an informal 45 minute webinar, where we will help you to understand:

- what an apprenticeship actually is?

- what are the levels and what do they mean?

- where can you do an apprenticeship and in what sectors?

- how can your young person find an apprenticeship?

- how can you prepare them to apply?

We will make sure you understand their choices and how to help them make it a reality. With lots of opportunities to ask questions from experts with over 30 years’ experience in the apprenticeship sector.

About the Webinar

This webinar showcases the Royal Navy as an inclusive career option and a powerful vehicle for social mobility. • Eligibility explained • Myth-busting preconceptions of Service life • Live Q&A session

Event Details

Date: Thursday 09 July

Time: 09:30 – 12:00

Location: Microsoft Teams

Project Chrysalis Project Chrysalis is a Royal Navy Youth Engagement team supporting young people from areas of deprivation, low socio-economic circumstances, the care sector or those involved with Youth Justice Services. It aims to improve life chances through partnerships with Local Authorities, Police and VCSE sectors. Join the Webinar

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/380725013588781?p=u49z66T55XaWClbBC7 Contact for questions lawrence.goodall115@mod.gov.uk

Project ROUTE is a collaboration between ITS UK and Digdata, working alongside industry and government partners to address the growing digital skills gap and build clear pathways into future-focused careers. The programme aims to engage 10,000 students through free interactive career challenges, work experience opportunities, and industry-led engagement activities.

Join our launch event on Wednesday 24th June at 4.00 pm, where you will hear from our inspiring keynote speakers,

Sam Rose OBE - Director of Data and Advanced Analytics, Department of Transport 

Helen Stone - Principal Data Scientist, National Highways Digital Lab

This session will provide insight into

• Free virtual work experience events throughout 2026/27 academic year

• Free Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 classroom resources

• Free onsite Data Days

• Visibility to in person work experience, internships and apprenticeships.

Full Event Details and Registration Here

We look forward to telling you more about this exciting initiative, please feel free to share this invitation with your colleagues and network.

Headway Programme: for Year 11 and 13s

September - November 2026

We understand that some young women feel uncertain about the potential transition from education into STEAM (science, technology, engineering, engineering arts and maths) industry training and employment.

Our annual Headway Programme gives young women entering academic years 11 and 13 in September 2026 the opportunity to:

• learn about BAE Systems

• meet and shadow our female staff

• explore engineering and business services apprenticeship programmes, starting September 2027

Taking place over six sessions from September to November 2026, students will be matched with a BAE Systems mentor and visit Portsmouth Naval Base. There will be opportunities to meet current BAE Systems apprentices, who will provide insights into their role and share their experience.

We’ll offer some guidance on how to apply for our apprenticeship programmes, open for application from January to February 2027, starting in September 2027.

Programme dates and times are:

• Thursday 17 September, 17:00 – 18:00, Virtual (joining instructions and links will be provided)

• Thursday 24 September, 16:00 – 18:00, Portsmouth Naval Base

• Thursday 8 October, 16:00 – 18:00, Portsmouth Naval Base

• Thursday 22 October, 16:00 – 18:00, Portsmouth Naval Base

• Thursday 29 October (half term), 10:00 – 15:00, Portsmouth Naval Base

• Tuesday 3 November, 17:45 – 19:00, Portsmouth Naval Base (attendance at BAE Systems Apprentice Open Evening event)

Places are limited, so you must commit to attending all dates/times listed above to complete the programme. Access to Portsmouth Naval Base is subject to MOD security checks and permissions. You will need valid photo ID (e.g. passport or provisional driver’s license) to gain access to Portsmouth Naval Base.

To register, please complete the online form via this link: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/F1ATMI/

Online registration will close 09:00 on Monday 6 July 2026.

We're committed to recruiting the best and most diverse talent to our team, bringing their unique insights and perspectives to build a better tomorrow.

Sunday 5 July
11:00 - 18:00
Held on Zoom
Suitable for young people aged 11-25

United in Art is a free online festival created by young people, for young people, shaped by Artswork's Youth Board.

This one-day event is designed to celebrate creativity from young voices across the UK.

United in Art is one of the ways Artswork's Youth Board share their voices with the world.

What’s on?

Explore our exciting festival line-up, filled with creative workshops that encourage understanding, bridge differences, and celebrate stories that make communities vibrant:

Protest Zines: 11:00 – 12:30

Spend 90 minutes with creative practitioner Angela Chick, exploring the ways you can use homemade zines to share your unique voice through words, images, and drawings, while designing and creating your own Protest Zine!

Illustration: 13:00 – 14:00

Join award winning young painter and illustrator Ashton Attzs to discover how to approach illustration, develop your own style, and create your own work of art.

Poetry: 14:30 – 16:00

Work collaboratively with flo poet Woodzy to create a one-of-a-kind poem alongside a live illustrator
(All participants will receive a copy of the finished poem and illustration)

Our Experience: Getting into the Creative Arts Q&A Panel: 16:30 – 18:00

Chaired by Kaia Allen-Bevan from Youth the Gap
Curious about getting into a creative career but unsure where to start? Join our panel of photographers, filmmakers, and visual artists to hear their journeys and ask the questions you’ve always wanted to.