Power better business
How Leonardo and the Institution of Engineering and Technology are shaping the future of UK engineering.
A partnership built on people, purpose and performance
Leonardo is an international industrial group that develops multi-domain technological capabilities for global security, employing over 9,500 people in the UK and 62,000 worldwide. Its engineers and technologists work across multiple disciplines, bringing together expertise from software, systems, electronics, manufacturing and mechanical engineering to solve complex challenges.
For Leonardo, the challenge is not just building world-class technology; it is building and sustaining the engineering capability required to deliver it. At the centre of its partnership with the IET is Rob Edmunds, who has spent more than 20 years with the Leonardo UK business and much of that time actively engaged with the IET. As he explains:
“All of that time the IET has been my professional home and the business has continued to support me in volunteering.”
This reflects the nature of the relationship. It is not just transactional, but one embedded in the day-to-day experience of Leonardo’s UK engineers and in the long-term strategy of the organisation.
Responding to a structural engineering skills challenge
Like much of the UK engineering industry, Leonardo faces a persistent gap between the demand for engineers and the available talent.
“For at least the last 10 years we have struggled to recruit enough engineers to meet the demand for the business.”
This is not a short-term hiring issue. It is a structural challenge that affects growth, delivery and competitiveness.
Leonardo recognised early that this could not be solved in isolation. By working with the IET, it has been able to position itself within a broader UK ecosystem, collaborating with other organisations to address the root causes of the engineering skills shortage.
“It’s a UK-wide problem and by working together we can get closer to meeting that demand.”
This shift from individual action to collective influence is a defining strength of the partnership, enabling Leonardo to contribute to long-term, systemic change while also strengthening its own UK talent pipeline.
Building a more resilient engineering talent pipeline
A key challenge for Leonardo is the shape of its UK workforce, often described internally as the “bathtub effect”.
“We’ve got a lot of early career engineers… and a lot of late career engineers… and then somewhat of a dip in the middle.”
This mid-career gap creates risks around continuity, leadership and long-term capability. Addressing it requires more than recruitment; it requires sustained development and better flow through the career pipeline.
Through its relationship with the IET, Leonardo can engage more effectively across the full talent lifecycle. This includes influencing perceptions of engineering careers, supporting returners into STEM roles, and reaching future engineers earlier in their education.
“Collectively we have a much bigger weight than if any one organisation tries to tackle these things on their own.”
The IET’s global reach also enables Leonardo to connect with a much wider audience of engineers and students. This strengthens employer brand visibility and helps attract talent that might otherwise be difficult to reach. The result is not just improved recruitment, but a more sustainable and resilient engineering talent pipeline.
Developing capability through professional registration
At the heart of Leonardo’s UK approach to workforce development is its IET-accredited professional development scheme. This provides a structured pathway for engineers and technicians to achieve professional registration, including EngTech, IEng and CEng.
“The scheme is there to help take them on that journey and get them to the point where they’re applying for registration.”
Professional registration helps individuals demonstrate recognised competence, while giving employers confidence that their people are developing against recognised professional standards. Working with the IET also simplifies what could otherwise be a complex process. With multiple institutions involved, the ability to carry out a single joint accreditation significantly reduces duplication.
“To do that once every three years for all organisations, rather than separately, is a massive benefit to us.”
This reduces administrative burden, saves time, and allows both employees and the business to focus more on development and less on process. It also strengthens Leonardo’s employee value proposition, giving recruits confidence that their career progression will be supported from day one.
Embedding quality, reducing risk and strengthening performance
For Leonardo, engineering quality is directly linked to business performance. Its systems are often mission-critical and must operate reliably for 20-30 years or more.
“Our products are designed to go and work for 20-30 years plus. The only way that can be achieved is through high standards in design, manufacture and support.”
Professional registration, supported by the IET, ensures these standards are embedded across the organisation. It provides independent validation that engineers have both the technical knowledge and practical experience required.
This has a direct operational impact. It strengthens quality assurance, reduces risk and increases confidence in long-term system performance. It also provides a clear, externally recognised benchmark of competence, which is increasingly important in customer relationships and programme delivery.
Enhancing credibility and strengthening bid competitiveness
As customer expectations evolve, the ability to demonstrate capability is becoming a critical differentiator. Leonardo is seeing this directly in the bidding process:
“We’re seeing more and more bids specifically asking for how many registered engineers we will have.”
Professional registration provides a clear and credible answer. It allows Leonardo to evidence the competence of its UK workforce through independent validation, rather than relying on internal claims. This strengthens trust with customers and partners, while also improving positioning in competitive bids. The commercial impact is clear:
“Ultimately the biggest benefit we’ve seen is winning more business.”
This demonstrates how investment in professional standards and development translates directly into growth and competitive advantage.
Connecting engineers to innovation and industry insight
Engineering capability must evolve alongside technology. Through its partnership with the IET, Leonardo ensures its engineers remain connected to the latest thinking across industry.
“Those conferences can be really helpful in bringing them up to an understanding of the latest thinking across industry.”
This is particularly valuable for early career engineers and those moving between sectors, helping them quickly build relevant knowledge and apply it in practice.
It also supports internal innovation. By exposing engineers to wider industry developments, Leonardo is better positioned to build on those ideas and translate them into its own products and solutions. At the same time, engagement with the IET allows Leonardo to contribute to industry discussions, helping to shape standards rather than simply respond to them.
Supporting diversity to strengthen engineering outcomes
Leonardo recognises that building a stronger engineering workforce also means building a more diverse one. Through the IET, the company actively supports initiatives such as the Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards.
“If you can see a role model that you can relate to, it’s far easier to follow in their footsteps.”
With women still underrepresented in engineering, increasing visibility and access is essential. These initiatives help inspire future engineers while also strengthening the talent pipeline. For Leonardo, the value goes beyond representation. Diverse teams bring broader perspectives, which leads to better problem-solving, stronger innovation and improved outcomes for customers.
A genuinely collaborative, two-way partnership
A defining feature of this relationship is that it is mutual. The IET supports Leonardo through accreditation, professional development, industry insight and global reach. In return, Leonardo actively contributes through volunteering, expertise and engagement.
“It’s a truly collaborative partnership. It works both ways.”
Employees are encouraged to volunteer, gaining experience in areas such as leadership, budgeting and stakeholder engagement, often earlier than they would within their formal roles. This not only accelerates individual development but also supports the IET in delivering its wider mission. The result is a partnership that creates mutual value while strengthening the engineering profession as a whole.
Preparing for future skills and long-term capability
Looking ahead, Leonardo sees the partnership becoming even more important as the pace of change accelerates. One key focus is earlier engagement with future talent.
“Many kids start forming ideas of what they want, and don’t want, to do by the time they leave primary school.”
This highlights the need to reach not just students, but also parents, teachers and influencers who shape career perceptions. At the same time, the skills required across engineering are evolving rapidly.
“We know today’s skill sets are not what we’re going to need tomorrow.”
From artificial intelligence to emerging technologies, organisations must continuously adapt. Through the IET, Leonardo is better able to identify future skills needs, upskill its workforce and attract talent with the capabilities required for tomorrow.
This ensures the organisation remains agile, competitive and prepared for long-term change.
Better people, better standards, better business
By investing in professional development, recognised competence and lifelong learning, Leonardo is helping build the workforce it needs today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
Better businesses aren't built by chance. They're built by better people, working to recognised standards, with the capability to shape what comes next.