Projects like the Type 45 are contributing to rise of Scotland's engineering apprentices

Scottish shipbuilding and engineering back in vogue
Shipbuilding and repair in Scotland represents a quarter of the sector in the UK





 

The planned upsurge in shipbuilding activity on the Clyde and at Rosyth is set to reinforce Scotland's position as the UK centre for advanced engineering training, say the Scottish Executive.

Initial projections suggest up to 2,000 engineering Modern Apprentices will be recruited over the next decade by BAE Systems on the Clyde and Babcock Engineering Services at Rosyth, as work starts on the £3 billion aircraft carrier project for the Royal Navy.

To support this growth Scottish Enterprise has launched a new Scottish Marine Technologies Training Project, bringing together private and public sectors, to maximise future skills and training opportunities in the industry.

"Currently there are around 300 apprentices in the country's shipyards and this figure will rise steadily as around 150 new openings are created ever year to cope with the increased volume of work," said Scottish Enterprise's skills director, Charlene O’Connor.

"This puts Scotland at the forefront of the UK in terms of training young people in engineering related skills and sets a firm foundation for the long term sustainable future of the industry in this country.

"The volume of work we will see passing through the yards over the next few years will reach levels not seen for decades. This skills strategy for the industry will ensure our young people are given the chance to get the most from the opportunities being created."

Shipbuilding and ship repair directly employs over 7,000 people in Scotland, 24 per cent of the UK workforce, and generates £410 million to the Scottish economy. It supports 100 firms directly and over 300 more in the supply chain.

"Interestingly only around 10 per cent of the value of a modern warship is contained in the physical hull and the real value is in the technology that enables the ship to operate.

"These apprenticeships are knowledge intensive high tech training programmes that will equip our young people to be the finest most advanced shipbuilders in the world."

O’Connor said that combined with Scotland's academic strengths in engineering these new Modern Apprentices would provide the skills base for the industry to effectively compete in the modern marketplace.

"This is a niche market for which we are developing a core skilled workforce as good as any in the world. With the training we are supporting the industry will be well placed to successfully bid for more work in the global marketplace in the future," she said.