Growing with Boeing

2014 was a year of unprecedented business for Boeing in the commercial sector. There were also significant high points for Boeing Defence UK. As we delivered a record number of commercial aircraft in 2014, including the first 787-9 to a European customer, Virgin Atlantic, we also booked significant 737 MAX orders with Ryanair and Monarch and delivered the first Chinook Mk6 helicopters to the Royal Air Force. Not only does this provide exceptional new capabilities for our customers, but it also delivers significant economic benefits to the UK through our rapidly-expanding workforce and extensive chain of suppliers.

In late 2012 Oxford Economics carried out research for Boeing into our positive economic impact in Europe (more at www.boeing.co.uk/value). At that time in the UK, Boeing employed 1,200 people directly with a further 9,200 people in our supply chain in this country dependent on Boeing business for their jobs. Add in the consequential and induced impacts of Boeing's business activities and Oxford Economics calculated that the total number of UK jobs supported rose to 55,700.

Our employee numbers have continued to grow, reaching 1,800 this year and our annual spend with more than 250 UK suppliers has risen to £1 billion in 2013 (from £675 million in 2012). We expect that growth to carry on growing as we ramp up the rate of our commercial airplane production and as we work to deliver capability and through life sustainment to our defence customer here. This defence cooperation too brings thousands of long-term, high-value, high-tech jobs in the UK.

Boeing and the UK have a shared partnership stretching back to the 1930s. Our success in the future depends on that partnership continuing. The UK faces three specific challenges. Firstly, are we and our UK industry partners investing enough in the human skills base for the long-term? Secondly, do we have enough experienced, skilled people in the right parts of the country to deliver right now and keep momentum going in the short-term until the investments in skills pay off in the longer-term? Finally, are we also investing enough in R&D across the supply chain as well as in academia and in bridging the ‘valley of death' between a great idea and commercialising it?

Boeing continues to grow in the UK, mainly on the defence side of our business, and not just in aerospace or engineering but in IT and supply chain management, but we face a major task in matching that growth with our recruitment. We currently have around 100 open positions across the country. We do not foresee our growth slowing and there should also be further expansion in our supply chain companies as a spin-off benefit of our growth, both in the UK and globally. Together Boeing and its suppliers are working well.

Our shared success also underpins the work we do in the UK to boost the future workforce and inspire young people to study subjects that will strengthen the UK aerospace sector in the future. We engage with local communities through school visits as well as corporate citizenship activities such as the Schools Build a Plane Challenge, jointly sponsored by Boeing and the Royal Aeronautical Society. We work with the Air League on flying scholarships for young people in inner London and wounded former Armed Forces personnel. It is that passion for aerospace and engineering that continues to drive Boeing's innovative engineers. We want to stimulate that excitement in more of the UK's young people.

Boeing and the UK have shared a mutually beneficial partnership for more than 75 years. This has delivered jobs, security and prosperity. As the company approaches its centennial in 2016 we look forward to our second century and our growing presence in the UK.

www.boeing.co.uk