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Barnoldswick, Lancashire
Approximately 4,000
Aerospace Manufacturing
Rolls-Royce’s Barnoldswick facility in Lancashire is a strategically important advanced manufacturing and engineering site, specialising in precision aerospace components.
Currently operating with a workforce of around 400 people, the site went approximately 10 years without taking on a single shop floor apprentice.
Lauren Goddard is the HR People Partner at the Barnoldswick site.
As growth returns, the business has seen gaps in its internal talent pipeline, alongside fierce external competition from other regional primes.
Filling leadership and niche technical roles, such as manufacturing engineering and non-destructive testing (NDT), is proving extremely difficult in their rural location.
On top of this recruitment challenge is an ageing workforce: 25% of the workforce is currently aged over 50.
“We struggle with filling technical roles in Barnoldswick, particularly manufacturing engineering, as well as more niche skills such as non-destructive testing. With degree apprenticeships, we had hundreds of applicants for a more generic supply chain role, but far fewer for the more technical manufacturing and NDT roles. It shows a clear local gap in science-based backgrounds such as chemistry and physics.”
Realising that the external market lacks candidates with the necessary science-based backgrounds (such as physics and chemistry) and relevant manufacturing experience, the company pivoted its strategy to heavily prioritise internal upskilling for both management and early-careers training.
To urgently rebuild their talent pipeline, Rolls-Royce is seeking approval to more than double their apprentice intake year-on-year over the next five years.
“Leadership, manufacturing engineering and technical roles are the main areas where we can see future risk.”
Proactively rebuilding their internal apprenticeship pipeline and systematically managing retirements, the Barnoldswick site is working to insulate itself against regional skills shortages and secure the advanced technical leadership needed for the future.
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