From left, Rolls-Royce chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury. Bloomberg
From left, Rolls-Royce chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury. Bloomberg
From left, Rolls-Royce chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury. Bloomberg
From left, Rolls-Royce chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury. Bloomberg

Farnborough Airshow spotlights Keir Starmer's drive to train a new skilled UK workforce


Thomas Harding
  • English
  • Arabic

In an appeal to an industry that relies on advanced engineering, Keir Starmer on Monday asked for support for a government policy of developing a skilled British workforce, and said the country would “reduce our long-term reliance” on migrants.

Opening the Farnborough International Airshow, the British Prime Minister insisted his Skills England programme could train up a new cohort of young British workers.

With net migration at record levels, standing at 685,000 last year, Mr Starmer warned that UK industry should not merely “pull the easy lever of importing skills”.

Migration over reliance

After meeting apprentices from Airbus and Rolls-Royce, he contrasted them with how too many young people had been let down by a lack of the right training in their local areas.

“That's created an over-reliance in our economy on higher and higher levels of migration,” he said, although he did not criticise businesses for hiring overseas workers or the “contribution that migration makes to our economy”.

Keir Starmer meets apprentices from Airbus on the opening day of Farnborough International Airshow. Bloomberg
Keir Starmer meets apprentices from Airbus on the opening day of Farnborough International Airshow. Bloomberg

However, he said, Britain needed to find a way of creating “a coherent skill system” for ambitious young people, with many put to work in the defence and aerospace business.

“We're going to fire up the training of more UK workers,” he said on the first day of the air show, one of the major events in the aviation industry's calendar.

Skills England would work with the Migration Advisory Committee to identify skills gaps and to “reduce our long-term reliance on overseas workers”.

The new organisation would not only transform how young people are trained but also the relationship between business and the education system.

He said it was “right that we get migration down, it's too high” and that Skills England would develop a pool of well-trained young workers.

But he did not want to deter businesses from hiring from abroad. “That is not realistic and is not good for business,” he said.

“But for too long that's happened because we haven't got the skills available in this country and I'm determined we will change that.”

Cutting edge

In a world that was now “more dangerous, volatile and increasingly insecure”, the role of the defence industry was “ever more important” for the defence of Britain and its allies.

“It always gives me great comfort to know that Britain is at the cutting-edge of defence and aerospace manufacturing,” he added, also thanking industry chiefs “for everything that you do for the security of our country”.

A concept model of the UK's next-generation combat aircraft, the Tempest. PA
A concept model of the UK's next-generation combat aircraft, the Tempest. PA

Tempest threat

Some of that new generation of workers will be heavily involved in the highly advanced new Tempest fighter programme, known as GCAP (Global Combat Aircraft Programme), in which Saudi Arabia has shown strong interest.

However, there have been reports that GCAP, currently a trination programme involving Britain, Japan and Italy, could be under threat from the newly launched strategic defence review.

While Mr Starmer said it had made “significant progress” with great benefits to the British economy, he failed to giving it outright endorsement by stating that “there is of course a review going on”.

“But it's important for me to put on record just how important the programme is,” he added.

The Farnborough International Airshow 2024 – in pictures

How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Results

6.30pm: Madjani Stakes Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m, Winner: RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)

7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Mnasek, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.

7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Grand Dubai, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m, Winner: Meqdam, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Cosgrave, Doug Watson.

9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,400m, Winner: Madkhal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

THE SPECS

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm

Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Top speed: 250kph

Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: Dh146,999

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

THE SPECS

Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre

Transmission: Seven-speed auto

Power: 165hp

Torque: 241Nm

Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000

On sale: now

While you're here
Walls

Louis Tomlinson

3 out of 5 stars

(Syco Music/Arista Records)

FIXTURES

Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)

The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain

Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L  / 100km

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Updated: July 23, 2024, 10:47 AM`