Around 150 Aerospace Jobs Are Planned at Prestwick Over Five Years Alongside a New 55,000 Sq Ft GE Building

GE Aerospace plans to hire around 150 workers over the next 5 years at its engine maintenance site in Prestwick, as part of plans to spend £30 million modernising its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, including a new 55,000 square foot building. The work is backed by public money through the Ayrshire Growth Deal, and the hiring is spread out, with the workers to be hired over the course of the coming five years. For Metaintro readers in Ayrshire and the west of Scotland, this guide covers what is being built, which roles are named, what the Prestwick Inspector listing on GE's careers site asks for and offers, when the next engineering apprenticeship round opens, and which local college course may lead to aircraft engineering roles.

What Exactly Is GE Aerospace Building at Prestwick?

The Prestwick site does engine Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), and the investment is meant to strengthen capacity and operational flow to better support customers across its commercial engine MRO network. The site sits next to Prestwick Airport in South Ayrshire.

A central part of the expansion is a new 55,000 sq ft building. The wider project is meant to improve site layout, logistics, access and operational flow, and the public share of the money will support site development, enabling works and facility fit-out.

GE will expand its engine MRO operations and establish a new facility at its Prestwick site. The project builds on more than two years of analysis and planning, and the Prestwick site serves as a hub for engine services for the UK, European and global aerospace sectors.

The project is being delivered on an accelerated schedule. Full operations are targeted for Q1 2028, with the work slated for completion by the first quarter of 2028. That date is for the project, while the workers will be hired over the course of the coming five years.

How Many Jobs Are Planned, and Over What Period?

GE Aerospace has plans to hire around 150 workers over the next 5 years, and around 150 skilled jobs will be created in Ayrshire.

South Ayrshire Council leader Brian Connolly said the investment will retain high value skilled jobs, attract talent to the sector and reinforce Prestwick's position as a leading UK aerospace location. He added that it would create attractive career opportunities for future generations in local STEM industries. Reuben Aitken, Managing Director, Investment and International at Scottish Enterprise, said the expansion will create new opportunities for skilled workers.

No split of the hires by role, shift or start date was given in the announcement.

By expanding and modernising the facility with the help of government partners, we are improving capacity, operational flow and readiness for future demand, while helping hire and train additional workers from the area, Andy Prow, Site Leader, GE Aerospace in Prestwick, said, according to the Scottish Enterprise announcement.

Why Do Some Reports Say £57 Million and Others £63 Million?

The headline is a £30 million investment as part of a £57 million partnership with the Ayrshire Growth Deal, where GE's money sits alongside £27m from the Ayrshire Growth Deal.

The Growth Deal money itself has three parts, with £18 million from the UK Government, £8 million from the Scottish Government and £1 million from South Ayrshire Council. On top of that, Scottish Enterprise has a planned investment of £6 million.

The £63m total used by Deadline News adds that planned £6m from Scottish Enterprise to the other contributions, listing £30m from GE Aerospace, £18m and £8m from the UK and Scottish governments via the Growth Deal, £6m from Scottish Enterprise and £1m from South Ayrshire Council. The Scottish Enterprise money is described as a planned investment, and the £57 million headline is framed as GE's £30 million in partnership with the Ayrshire Growth Deal.

There is also a separate Scottish total. The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise together are providing £14 million towards the project, including Scottish Enterprise's planned investment, which is the £8 million Growth Deal share plus the planned Scottish Enterprise money. GE's own share is £30 million, and the £27 million in public funding will support site development, enabling works and facility fit-out.

Which Roles Are Named for the Site?

The new jobs will include machine operator roles, as well as aerospace mechanic and engineers, in the list given by STV News.

GE's job pathways in Ayrshire included aircraft powerplant overhaul, machining, welding and mechanical and electrical maintenance in a February 2025 Skills Development Scotland profile. The firm had 820 Scottish employees including ten Foundation Apprentices, 40 Modern Apprentices and seven Graduate Apprentices in that February 2025 profile.

GE already lists an Inspector role in Prestwick on its careers site, and the wider UK team is currently made up of 4,100 employees.

MRO work is about ensuring aircraft engines remain operational and compliant with safety regulations.

What Does GE's Prestwick Inspector Listing Ask For and Offer?

The Prestwick Inspector role covers these duties.

• Carry out checks of aircraft components, and any other associated documentation, to establish components serviceability.
• Update all applicable systems to demonstrate and provide evidence of components' serviceability.
• PC work including SAP and all other relevant references and instructions.
• Use of magnifying and measuring equipment as required (CMM), plus manual handling of components.
• Lift and lay engine components using approved fixturing and tooling.

This Inspector role is for a skilled person who has served a recognised engineering apprenticeship. Detailed Parts Inspection approval would be beneficial but not essential. Precise attention to detail, a high level of concentration, a detailed understanding of components, and the ability to work on your own and with limited supervision are also required for this role.

Pay is not shown on the Inspector posting. Default benefits listed there include a non-contributory pension, life assurance, group income protection, private medical cover and a holiday hourly equivalent of 26 days, with a flexible option to buy or sell.

Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance is required and must be maintained for this role, and if it cannot be obtained you may not be eligible for the role and/or any offer of employment may be withdrawn on grounds of national security, and relocation assistance is not provided. GE does not allow AI tools to aid responses in its hiring process, except where needed for accessibility or accommodation.

How Does the Prestwick Engineering Apprenticeship Work, and When Does It Open?

The Prestwick programme listed on GE's UK apprenticeships page is the Engineering Modern Apprenticeship. The Prestwick programme runs over a three year duration, rotating through the repair, overhaul and test areas of the business with Lean methodology, and leads to an SVQ Level 3 in Aeronautical Engineering.

The Prestwick apprenticeship lists an application open date of 2nd November 2026. Across GE's UK sites, vacancies typically open in the Autumn for the following Summer/Autumn.

GE Aerospace in Ayrshire has offered apprenticeships since 1980, and its apprenticeship jobs had empowered more than 350 employees to fuel their careers by the February 2025 Skills Development Scotland profile. The programme had a 98% completion rate in that February 2025 Skills Development Scotland profile, and many apprentices progress to senior technical roles and managerial positions.

Apprenticeships create the engineers and leaders of the future to meet the demands of a growing and dynamic industry, Apprentice Coordinator Aidan McIntyre said, according to the Skills Development Scotland profile.

Aidan McIntyre began his engineering Modern Apprenticeship at GE in 2014 and within five years was promoted to lead the programme.

What Is the Ayrshire College Donation For, and What Course Already Exists?

GE is making a donation of £75,000 to Ayrshire College to support new training equipment and a course designed to prepare students for careers in the wider aerospace industry. The donation will support approximately 150 students and apprentices.

The new course has not been named, and no start date for it was given. One course that already exists is Ayrshire College's HNC Aircraft Engineering at the Ayr campus, at SCQF Level 7, run full-time over 36 weeks.

The listed entry requirements on the HNC course page are a genuine passion for aircraft and aviation, two relevant Highers, preferably in Mathematics and Physics, plus National 5 in English, satisfactory completion of a relevant NC course at SCQF Level 6 or equivalent, and an interview. People without formal qualifications but with life experience will also be considered for a place.

The HNC Aircraft Engineering course lists an August 2026 start and is not currently open for applications, though you can still register your interest. The next intake date is not listed on the course page. After successfully completing the course, students may have the opportunity to start a Modern Apprenticeship or roles like Trainee Mechanic or B1/B2 Licensed Engineer, or move on to the MEng (Hons)/BEng (Hons) in Aircraft Engineering at the University of the West of Scotland.

How Does This Fit With Other Aerospace Hiring at Prestwick?

In March, the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise also backed Ryanair at Prestwick, and are jointly investing more than £15 million in a Ryanair maintenance expansion at Prestwick Airport that is set to create around 450 skilled engineering jobs and apprenticeships. Ryanair Chief Executive Eddie Wilson said the airline is making a further £40 million investment, creating 450 new highly skilled engineering and mechanic jobs, including 60 apprenticeships.

Named roles include aircraft mechanics, avionics specialists, structures technicians and supervisory engineering positions. That funding will also provide targeted support for recruiting people facing barriers to work, including those with limited or no prior engineering experience and older workers.

Both projects are funded partly through the Ayrshire Growth Deal, GE's through £27 million of Growth Deal money and Ryanair's through Growth Deal funding for the Prestwick campus. As part of the deal, £80 million will go towards supporting the Prestwick Aerospace Cluster, including £32 million from the UK Government. The Ayrshire Growth Deal is supported by £103 million each from the Scottish and UK governments.

Both projects name mechanic and engineering roles, with aircraft mechanics among the Ryanair jobs and aerospace mechanic and engineers among the GE roles listed by STV News. At the GE Aerospace event, Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said the important part about these jobs is that they are skilled, well-paid jobs. No pay rates were published in GE's announcement on the Scottish Enterprise newsroom or in the Scottish Government's Ryanair announcement.

What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

The around 150 hires are spread over the next 5 years, so the nearest fixed date is the Prestwick apprenticeship's application open date of 2nd November 2026.

• Mark the apprenticeship date. The Prestwick Engineering Modern Apprenticeship lists an application open date of 2nd November 2026. It is the only Prestwick programme listed on GE's UK apprenticeships page.
• Watch GE's Prestwick listings. Check GE Aerospace's Prestwick Inspector listing, located in Prestwick, United Kingdom. This Inspector role asks for a skilled person who has served a recognised engineering apprenticeship.
• Build the named skills. Machine operator, aerospace mechanic and engineer roles are the ones named for the new jobs in STV News coverage. The Prestwick Inspector role uses magnifying and measuring equipment (CMM) and checks aircraft components, and machining was one of the job pathways named in a February 2025 profile.
• Use the college route if you need qualifications. Register interest in the Ayrshire College HNC Aircraft Engineering, where students who complete it may have the opportunity to start a Modern Apprenticeship or roles like Trainee Mechanic.
• Check the paperwork early. BPSS clearance is required and relocation assistance is not provided for the Prestwick Inspector role, so applicants from outside commuting distance should plan for that.
• Do not assume pay. No salary was published in the Scottish Government release or on the current Inspector posting, so ask about pay at the interview stage.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many jobs is GE Aerospace creating at Prestwick?

A: GE Aerospace has plans to hire around 150 workers over the next 5 years at the Prestwick site.

Q: How much is being invested in the Prestwick expansion?

A: GE is putting in £30 million as part of a £57 million partnership with the Ayrshire Growth Deal, which provides £27m of that total. Scottish Enterprise has a planned investment of £6 million on top, and Deadline News adds it to reach £63m.

Q: How can I apply for a GE Aerospace apprenticeship in Prestwick?

A: The Prestwick Engineering Modern Apprenticeship is listed on GE Aerospace's UK apprenticeships page with an application open date of 2nd November 2026.

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