HUNDREDS of people had the chance to look into future careers as the next generation of submarine builders.

More than 800 attended BAE Systems Submarines Early Careers Recruitment Event at The Forum, in Barrow, this week.

The Barrow site has vacancies for apprentices, higher apprentices and graduates who could join the business in 2019.

Among the visitors was Ellie Blowers, 15, of Askam.

Ellie said: “This event is a really useful way to help me find out what I want to do. Now I know what GCSEs I’ll need.

“It’s good that there are a lot of women here. There is no reason for girls not to enter engineering.”

Vehicle mechanic Dom Bradley is studying for a welding qualification at Furness College and attended the Forum event to see what BAE Systems could offer him.

He said: “I’m looking to find out how I can use the qualification I’m doing to get into BAE Systems. My brother works at the yard and it feels like it would be a good career with good prospects.”

BAE Systems Submarines higher apprentices project leader Kristel Kemp said: “It was humbling to see such a huge range of people visiting the event with such a clear appetite for the future of our submarines business. The enthusiasm was palpable and the calibre of potential applicants is impressively high.”

Every year BAE welcomes hundreds of new apprentices into its workforce, which now numbers 8,700 in Barrow, where the company is working on both Astute and Dreadnought class submarines for the Royal Navy.

The application window for roles starting in September 2019 closes on February 28.