Community Investment

Our approach is to understand the needs of our local communities, global trends (and drivers such as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals), and we align these with our business strategy, our stakeholder expectations and best practice, while playing to the strengths of our employees.

As a significant employer of scientists and engineers, we are committed to inspiring the next generation to consider careers in science and engineering. Our Science, Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) outreach programme recognises the value of inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers and helping to address current and future skills shortages in these disciplines. Our people use their professional skills to make a positive difference, and our approach is to grow sustainable long-term relationships with local schools and youth groups such as cadets, near to our sites. We offer our people at least 1 volunteering day per year, and in addition to STEM outreach volunteering, our non-technical people use their professional skills to make a positive difference in our local communities.

We value the expertise of outreach partners such as STEM Learning and Primary Engineer in the UK and the Re-Engineering Australia Foundation, to continue to understand young peoples’ current needs. In 2019, we started a corporate partnership with the Jon Egging Trust. JET is a charity that supports young people to overcome adversity and develop core competencies to help them fulfil their true potential, using an early intervention approach and unique motivational, inspirational and confidence-building programmes. Our partnership has enabled JET to expand their Blue Skies inspirational outreach programmes in the Wiltshire region, and to provide young people with access to inspirational role models and life-changing opportunities in the world of engineering, aviation and science. For further information about the Jon Egging Trust, visit their website.

QinetiQ also led the launch of The 5% Club, an initiative designed to invest in the younger generation by creating momentum behind the recruitment of apprentices and graduates in the UK.

We support a number of charities across QinetiQ that are important to our people. Our strategic and local charity partnerships are carefully chosen to maximise specific local needs and alignment with our business strategy, for example in the areas of innovation, technology, and skills/education

• In the UK we partner with SSAFA, The Armed Forces Charity. We also support a number of local charities across our sites. 
• In the US, employees fundraise for a number of defence charities; 
• In Australia we have a two-year partnership with the Australian War Memorial in Canberra to provide in-kind advisory services and engineering expertise.