Bristow Helicopters is to offer more opportunities for engineering apprenticeships, cadet pilot training and business graduates following a successful year of North Sea operations.

Over the next two years, a significant number of new aircraft will be added to Bristow's fleet to meet market demand as well as client requirements. Along with the increase in assets Bristow is also looking to recruit a number of individuals to support the business. It has invited individuals to apply for 22 engineering apprenticeships, 12 of which will sit within the oil and gas business, an increase of 50 per cent from 2012, while a further ten will be recruited to the SAR team.

Oil and gas apprentices will be located at one of Bristow Helicopters' global bases while SAR apprentices will work at one of the ten SAR bases around the UK: Inverness, Manston, Prestwick, Caernarfon, Humberside, Newquay, St Athan, Lee-on-Solent, Sumburgh and Stornoway.

As part of this recruitment drive, Bristow Helicopters will be recruiting four cadet pilots through the Air League and will be sponsoring a further ten ab initio pilots to join its training school, the Bristow Academy.

Mike Imlach, md of Bristow Helicopters, says: “Our search and rescue workforce will require around 103 pilots with nine located at each base. Many of these will transfer to Bristow Helicopters from the current military force, but there will also be opportunities for cadets to join the team in the coming years.”