BAE Systems Submarines at Barrow-in-Furness has won a national award and gained global recognition through its work with supply chain companies to support the Bright Stars programme, developed by the Centre for Leadership Performance to enable primary school pupils to create their own businesses,
Almost 60 primary schools across Cumbria were last year challenged to create their own social enterprises designed to ‘make a profit & make a difference’. The programme aims to gets young children excited about business, provide everyday leadership opportunities and remove barriers to engagement between local businesses and schools.
Each school is partnered with a local business to provide guidance and advice to the young entrepreneurs as they appoint a management team and develop their business ideas.
Additional support and funding from BAE Systems has enabled a greater number of schools to take part in the competition with supply chain partners and BAE Systems staff stepping up to work with the children.
Bright Stars 2022 won an Outstanding Achievement Award in the Global Procurement and Supply Chain Awards, which provide teams across BAE Systems worldwide with the opportunity to highlight and showcase some outstanding accomplishments on an annual basis. BAE Systems Procurement Professional – Social Impact – Charlotte Bartlam-Windle, and Amy Lamph, Senior Project Professional who led the Bright Stars project within the company collected the award at a ceremony in Washington DC.
Charlotte explains: “The awards programme recognises talent across four key categories: Outstanding Achievement, Professional of the Year, Team of the Year and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Champion. Each year the quality of the work completed and the nominations are a reflection of core BAE Systems values and behaviours.”
BAE Systems employees across the world are also recognised for their achievements through the Chairman’s Awards. Bright Stars won a Business Leader Chairman’s Award under the category ‘building a sustainable future’.
Neil Jackson, Group Senior Sustainable Procurement Manager at BAE Systems commented:”I am very, very proud to have been able to nominate this initiative for a Chairman’s Award. To me, the activity that has gone into making Bright Stars such a fantastic offering really does bring out the best in how we can work together and collaborate to invest collectively in our local community.
“My eight-year-old daughter goes to school in the Barrow area and, from a very personal perspective, I am hugely optimistic that she and her classmates may have the opportunity to learn a little about how business works through experience, and to know that opportunities for a diverse, challenging and rewarding career are a very realistic and achievable prospect in this area. This is more than a STEM engagement – it’s about showing local young people that there are opportunities of all kinds all around them, and that these are within reach.
“Seeing how a wide range of stakeholders (End Users, Suppliers, Local Businesses and Employees) came together to contribute time and effort really evidences that we all care about our communities and have a vested interest in collaborating, outside of contractual relationships, to nurture our future. Reading specific quotes from pupils, teachers and people involved, as well as seeing some of the brilliant projects moved me to tears. Sometimes it’s the simple investments that make the difference – those of time, interest and enthusiasm. It doesn’t have to cost millions to make a positive impact – just a movement of like-minded people with a common interest and a belief that they can make a difference. Bright Stars is one of those movements which I believe needs to be recognised, encouraged and championed as widely as possible.”
Senior Project Professional Amy Lamph added: “I am extremely passionate about the education and skills outreach we offer at BAE Systems. Research has shown that by age 12 most children are able to make career decisions and justify them, with some research suggesting that children as young as three are developing a basic knowledge of careers and gender stereotypes within jobs.
“Our employees, our business, our supply chain and partner interactions with children at a young age provide vitally important exposure to a range of roles and industries our young people need to understand that a wide range of opportunities are within their reach. I feel proud to work for a company that sees the value in activities like Bright Stars as more than just our own recruitment needs but as part of our social responsibility.”
