“During our feedback session at the end of the week, one of the main aspects the cohort enjoyed the most was the chance to get to know our previous graduates,” said Sophie Haskey, Early Careers Lead. “It gave them a better understanding of the potential career paths and growth opportunities available at L3Harris.”
Spanning four days, the induction included a mixture of graduates, apprentices and industrial placement students who all made their home in the business’ Experience Centre where they learned about the company, its capabilities and its people.
This year’s cohort consisted of:
- Two manufacturing apprentices
- Five graduates across systems, hardware and software engineering
- Four industrial placement students across systems and software engineering
A further software graduate joined the business after the induction week had taken place and an additional two apprentices will be onsite from July 2025.
What did the induction involve?
The induction began with an insight into the health and safety, security and human resources policies that would support and protect the new starters’ roles moving forward. Next was a valuable briefing with the company’s portfolio leads detailing the key capabilities and discipline areas. Other activities included an open Q&A session with Engineering Director, Richard Coster, and HR Business Partner, Ceri Barratt, practical how-to sessions on company equipment and a facility tour.
What’s next for the new starters?
Following meetings with the business’ General Manager, Ian Menzies, the new starters will attend career sessions with discipline leads, a briefing on effective one-to-one meetings and a presentation skills enhancement session. They will also take part in a “student-to-professional” workshop that focuses on easing the transition from education to the workplace.
As well as regular check-ins with Haskey, the new starters have been assigned buddies and mentors to offer peer support on a day-to-day basis. What’s more, the company’s Cerebrum group, an early career professionals network at Tewkesbury and Fleet, enables the cohort to offer honest feedback and take part in regular social activities, from pub quizzes to bowling. There will also be an opportunity to connect with peers on a broader scale through the Graduates, Interns, Apprentices and Trainees (GIANTS) initiative, a wider early careers group across L3Harris in the UK.
“Since joining the business just over a month ago, there’s been a lot to get stuck into!” said Haskey. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know the cohort better and supporting their growth over the coming year, in addition to assisting the early career professionals already working for us. I’m excited to see what the art of the possible will be like for the early career group moving forward.”
