Today I visited the Airbus Aerospace Park in Filton which employs over 130 people from Bristol West. It was fantastic to see this world class facility in action. The highlight for me was to speak with a young apprentice who was literally brimming with facts and figures, totally enthusiastic about the opportunity he had been given. He is one of the 4,000 people employed over the UK, and it was quite clear to see how much he was gaining from his first class training. It was great to hear a true story behind the headlines, - 2million new apprenticeships created since 2010, every one an opportunity for a young person to secure their career prospects. He told me what a great company Airbus is to work for and I really got a sense of camaraderie between staff here.

They are rightly proud of their achievements and contribution to Britain and the rest of the world. The work done by Airbus contributes nearly £3 billion to the British economy.Airbus is a global aircraft manufacturer and the world’s largest passenger airliner. The Filton Aerospace Business Park is home to the design, engineering and support for Airbus wings, fuel systems and landing gear integration. Employer of over 4,000 jobs in the South West area, Airbus provides work for 100,000 jobs through an extended supply chain of more than 400 companies located across the UK.

Bristol is a global leader in technical innovation, having built some of the most successful engines in the industry such as the legendary Concorde. The recent launch of the A400 Atlas, a next generation transport military aircraft, was officially named ‘City of Bristol’ in rare honour by the Royal Air Force. The RAF presented this honour in recognition of the important role Bristol plays in manufacturing of their capability.