We're marking National Apprenticeship Week by raising awareness of the many benefits apprenticeships can offer as an exciting career pathway where you can earn whilst you learn and gain valuable on the job experience whilst working towards accredited qualifications.

We spoke to the supply chain and procurement apprentices (pictured below) about their experiences so far:

Harriott is working towards her Supply Chain Degree “one of the highlights of my apprenticeship is building connections with industry professionals and knowing that I am making a valuable contribution to the projects that I am involved with.”

Katie joined the business when she was just 16 to complete the Level Three CIPS Supply Chain Management qualification and is now working towards her Supply Chain Degree. She says: “the most rewarding aspect of the apprenticeship is having the ability to gain skills on the job whilst also gaining knowledge from my courses. As I progress through my apprenticeship, I am taking on more responsibility. Being given my own projects to manage has boosted my confidence and helped me develop a greater sense of independence.”

Mo is achieving consistently high grades in his Level Three CIPS qualification which covers all aspects of procurement and supply chain, he’s enjoying the experience “this apprenticeship has given me a massive head start in my career, as I am building valuable real-life experience in my field of study.”

As part of our commitment to developing future talent and investing in training and skills, we will have more apprenticeship opportunities over the course of the year bolstering the team as our company continues to evolve.

If you know someone in your network who would benefit from an apprenticeship, please encourage them to apply directly by emailing us at careers@knds.co.uk

We were delighted to welcome Leader of the Council Cllr Mark Hunter, Chief Executive of Stockport Council Michael Cullen, Deputy Chief Executive Paul Richards and Council Officers on site to officially open our brand new purpose-built welding training centre.

The new welding facility demonstrates our commitment to investing in skills, infrastructure, and innovation. We need a highly skilled, qualified and experienced workforce who can meet the highest standards for the UK MoD and for our export customers around the world. It also helps us to attract and retain the best future talent as part of our local outreach programme and partnerships with local schools and colleges.

Our welders graduate with the highest competencies in armoured steel and high-grade aluminium which is specially licenced to KNDS. All new recruits complete a comprehensive 12 week programme and must regularly retrain to ensure their skills continue to pass our rigorous requirements.

The leaders of Stockport Council enjoyed a tour of the entire site. It was a pleasure to showcase the heritage of our Bridging factory and the modern Boxer facility where every Boxer vehicle made in the UK for the British Army starts its life.

As a proud local employer with over a century of engineering excellence, we valued the opportunity to strengthen our partnership with the council and discuss key work and skills initiatives with them.

KNDS UK is proud to partner with Contact Coffee Company, the original UK Military Coffee Company, founded in 2016 by two Royal Marines on a mission to create a specialist military coffee company providing serving personnel with good coffee, no matter where they are.

As a prime supplier to the UK Ministry of Defence for over 50 years, and having recently been awarded the Gold Award in the MoD's Employer Recognition Scheme, KNDS UK is prolific in its support of the Defence and Armed Forces Community, regularly encouraging others to do the same.

Visitors to the KNDS UK facility in Stockport, near Manchester, can now enjoy a special blend of KNDS UK Contact Coffee 'WHEN IT COUNTS,' provided in sustainable, recyclable packaging with biodegradable coffee bags.

Collaborating with this impressive veteran-owned company and creating our own custom coffee for guests to enjoy is a great opportunity for us. It's a popular addition to meetings and a great way of demonstrating our ongoing support for the Armed Forces Community.

The Contact Coffee Company is proudly part of the Armed Forces Covenant (Silver Award) and supports a number of Veteran charities, including SSAFA.

For more information and to start your own Contact Coffee journey, visit ContactCoffee.com

Forever Manchester, the community foundation for Greater Manchester has shortlisted KNDS UK for its prestigious 'Business Supporter of the Year Award' in recognition of their significant contributions of support.

Managing Director, Ian Anderton said: "We're proud to support Forever Manchester and thrilled to be shortlisted in the company of some incredible organisations that go above and beyond to support the work that the team does throughout the region."

Forever Manchester is the only charity that raises money to fund and support community activity across the entire 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, believing as we do, that connected communities make stronger, happier communities.

Since Forever Manchester was established in 1989, they have delivered over £60 million into local communities. All of the money raised for Forever Manchester is used to fund and support over 1,300 community projects each year. They champion local people doing extraordinary things together, and when advice, encouragement and funding is needed, they are there to provide a hand up to support them.

The winner of the award will be announced at Forever Manchester's Birthday Party on Friday 7 February 2025.

To find out more and get involved, please visit ForeverManchester.com

KNDS UK welcomed students from Biddulph High School on site as part of MAKE UK's National Manufacturing Day - a national campaign to raise the profile of the industry and to give school students a special behind the scenes look at how manufacturing facilities operate and the breadth of careers and different pathways to employment that are available.

To add context and purpose to their visit, the students were given the task of acting as delegates from the fictitious country of 'Europia,' which is located on a natural fault-line and has become increasingly blighted by earthquakes, floods and landslides. Understanding the importance of humanitarian relief and necessity of trusted infrastructure support, the visit enabled them to learn more about the rapidly deployable gap-crossing solutions, see the factory for themselves and meet the people who they will be doing business with. The delegates were also interested in modernising their fleet of armoured vehicles and so visited the purpose-built, state-of-the-art Boxer facility to understand more about the modular vehicle and its range of capabilities.

The day is a national celebration and an opportunity to showcase the sector that plays a key role in the economic life of local communities across the UK - accounting for £224 billion of UK output, 41% of R&D and nearly half of the country's total exports whilst employing over 2.6 million highly skilled people.

Register your interest for next year's event by emailing emma.livingstone@knds.co.uk

KNDS UK has been recognised by the UK Government with the highest badge of honour for supporting the Armed Forces community.

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award recognises the positive role that employers play in supporting defence and inspiring others to do the same. To win a gold, an organisation must demonstrate exceptional commitment to supporting the armed forces community.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Employer Recognition Scheme, winners have all been powerful advocates for the Armed Forces Covenant by actively engaging with their peers, encouraging them to employ armed forces personnel, veterans, and their families, and providing robust and sustained support for reservists.

Gold status is also awarded to those who implement HR policies that accommodate the needs of the Armed Forces Community, while continuously promoting this advocacy within their own networks and industry.

The scheme aligns with the new government’s manifesto promise to strengthen support for armed forces communities, including putting the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law and a commitment to create a new Armed Forces Commissioner to improve service life and be a strong, independent voice for service personnel and their families.

Minister for Veterans and People, Alistair Carns said:

“Our Armed Forces Community make incredible sacrifices to keep the nation safe, and it is only right that they are welcomed and valued in the workplace. This scheme aligns with this government’s determination to renew the nation’s contract with our Armed Forces.

“I would like to thank the nearly 200 organisations that have been recognised with a gold award this year. Their continued support ensures that our Armed Forces Community are given opportunities needed to flourish.”

Ian Anderton, Managing Director for KNDS UK said:

“We are delighted that KNDS UK been awarded the Gold in the Employer Recognition Scheme - it's an incredible achievement, both for our Armed Forces colleague network and colleagues across the business."

If you would like to learn more about the Armed Forces Covenant and how you can progress through the Employer Recognition Scheme, please get in touch with us directly, we're happy to help.

We were delighted to welcome the Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge and the UK Ministry of Defence to our Stockport manufacturing facility to see where every Boxer for the British Army starts life. All were impressed by the progress made to date and witnessed the first UK-built Boxer Drive Module come off the production line.

During the visit, the visitors were able to spend time with the highly skilled team of welders, fitters and mechanics who are working on the new armoured vehicles and hear about the extensive technology transfer programme between KNDS Germany and KNDS UK. With over 60% content by value, the project is reshoring UK industrial capacity in the defence sector and fulfilling the aspirations of the UK’s Land Industrial Strategy. In addition to manufacturing all the hulls for the British Army’s new armoured vehicle, KNDS UK is also responsible for the assembly, integration and testing of the vehicles.

As part of the tour, the guests also visited the Bridging facility where the Medium Girder and Dry Support Bridges are made. They met with the team and learned about the number of ongoing projects for both the British Army and for overseas military customers that the team is currently working on, including Project Tyro which will equip the British Army with the latest generation of rapidly deployable military bridging.

With a growing workforce of over 300 and a strong order book to boot, KNDS UK is a significant employer in the North West, where it has been operating out of the same site in Heaton Chapel since 1915. And as the business continues to expand, there are a number of active roles available from Boxer to Bridges which are updated on a weekly basis on the Careers page of the website. 

KNDS UK (formerly WFEL Limited) has awarded a three-year contract to UK-based TFC for the supply of components used in the assembly and integration of the Boxer Armoured Vehicles for the UK MoD which are being manufactured at their Stockport facility. This is an important step to increase capacity for not only the UK MoD Boxer programme, but also the overall international Boxer programme managed by OCCAR, the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation. There are four participating nations (Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania and the UK) and the programme is delivered through the prime industrial partner, ARTEC GmbH, a joint venture between KNDS and Rheinmetall.

TFC will support KNDS from its local operations in the North of England, from where they support British manufacturing throughout the region, helping businesses navigate global supply chains and ensuring they get the best out of global material supply sources.

The contract comprises a Vendor Managed Inventory agreement (VMI) to streamline KNDS’s inventory management, with TFC restocking KNDS’s stock levels based on data delivered by electronic data interchange (EDI). This managed supply solution includes both direct and indirect parts such as fasteners and fixings and various production consumables, with TFC collaborating with the KNDS team to ensure continuous momentum and process efficiencies as part of the supply chain services.

Commenting on this latest contract awarded as part of KNDS’s UK-wide Boxer vehicle supply chain roll-out, KNDS UK’s Managing Director, Ian Anderton, said:

“We are proud to welcome TFC to our growing UK supply chain, as we deliver the Boxer armoured vehicles to the British Army. The partnership demonstrates our commitment to a long-term collaborative approach in supporting UK manufacturing and innovation.”

Morgan Burgoyne, President of TFC, commented: “We’re delighted to be working with KNDS on the UK Boxer programme. TFC is the European arm of AFC Industries, a global provider of VMI solutions with a group turnover in excess of $650M and employing over 1200 people worldwide. For over 60 years, we have provided VMI solutions and technical engineering products, covering both specialist and C-Class components for various industrial applications.”

Further UK job creation and sustainment has been seen throughout the KNDS UK Boxer supply chain which is set to further expand as the Boxer Programme progresses. Marking a significant milestone in the programme, the first two prototypes arrived in Millbrook at the end of last year to commence joint army-industry trials allowing the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers to begin their familiarisation training on the state-of-the-art armoured vehicle later this year.

The Fairey Band is one of the most successful contesting brass bands in the world. Founded in 1937 by employees at the Fairey Aviation Works in Stockport, the band achieved many musical successes under the brilliant direction of Harry Mortimer, their Musical Director for over thirty years. Since those early days, the band has won every elite band event on the contest calendar, including the National Championships of Great Britain on nine occasions and the British Open an incredible 16 times. 

With impressive versatility, the band has welcomed innovation and enjoyed further recognition outside the confines of the Brass Band movement, with its involvement in the ‘Acid Brass’ project. Under this banner, they’ve adapted to a very different musical concept, performing at various rock and pop festivals around the UK and overseas, bringing brass bands to new audiences. 

The band has always maintained its association with the ‘Fairey’ company, which has operated on the same site since 1915 with the band still rehearsing at the original factory here in Heaton Chapel. With several name changes over the course of its existence, reflecting the evolution of the company – Williams Fairey, Williams Holdings and most recently WFEL Limited – the band is proud to take on the new name of the company and will now be known as The KNDS Fairey Band, as well as (historically used in banding circles) Faireys.

“This evolution marks a thrilling chapter in our band’s rich history,” says Nigel Beasley of the KNDS Fairey Band. “We are grateful for the ongoing support and this new alignment strengthens our shared commitment to musical excellence and community engagement.”

As Ian Anderton says: “We’re proud to support The KNDS Fairey Band, music bridges cultures and brings people together. This partnership is about investing in our community, preserving our heritage and promoting the talent of tomorrow’s artists.”

Bridging the gap: essential military bridging contract secures 300 UK jobs

• £150 million contract for cutting-edge Army bridges to secure around 300 UK jobs in North West.
• New bridges can extend almost 50 metres across land or water and carry weight of British Army tank.
• High-tech capability is interoperable with UK’s NATO partners.

British Army battlefield mobility will be bolstered in a new £150 million contract for military-grade general support bridges which will secure 300 UK jobs.

Stockport-based company KNDS UK (formerly WFEL Limited), which has a long history of manufacturing military bridge systems, will deliver the support bridges based on their Dry Support Bridge design.

Extending up to 46 meters and able to carry the weight of the Army’s future tank, the Challenger 3, the bridges can be used to cross both wet and dry gaps.

Enabling the safe movement of personnel and equipment across the battlefield, the bridges will also ensure the resupply of forward fighting elements and humanitarian aid in disaster relief situations.

Replacing the BR90 ABLE system previously in service with the British Army, the new capability will be interoperable with other NATO partners’ bridge systems, meaning that resources can be shared between nations during joint exercises and deployments.

Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge said:

“This is a fantastic example of this government delivering on our Land Industrial Strategy – investing in UK industry and delivering world-class bridging capabilities to our Armed Forces.

“Securing hundreds of jobs in Stockport, this contract is a crucial step forward in our military capability, improving interoperability with our NATO allies as we work closer together.”

The £150 million contract for General Support Bridges has been placed by Defence Equipment and Support as part of Project TYRO. TYRO will provide a significant capability improvement for the British Army, facilitating the mobility of future Armoured Brigade Combat Teams, and equipment across gaps in the terrain.

Defence Equipment & Support Fires, Infrastructure & Manoeuvre Support (FIMS) Portfolio Lead Mr Mark Bunyan said:

“Military Equipment Bridging is the bedrock of successful operations and is vital to ensuring that our personnel can move around a battlefield in the safest and quickest way.

“Project TYRO GSB will enable the UK to maintain an operational advantage and is a great example of British Industry supporting UK Defence Capability.”

The TYRO general support bridge system will be one of the world’s most technically advanced, rapidly deployable military bridges and will be mounted on Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle (RMMV) HX2 tactical trucks.

AHQ DProgs – Col Adam Foley, SRO for Military Engineering Capability said:

“Project TYRO GSB has been an excellent example of close collaboration with industry and our NATO and ABCANZ partners to meet our bridging requirements now and into the future.”

Managing Director, KNDS UK - Ian Anderton said:

“We are delighted that the British Army will join the ever-growing community of Dry Support Bridge users. The Dry Support Bridge is a proven capability that is manufactured in the UK and exported globally.

“Project TYRO also marks over 50 years as a prime contractor to the UK MoD and we remain very proud to support the UK Defence Capability".