Navantia UK welcomes 73 new apprentices across four yards

Navantia UK has taken on 73 new apprentices across its sites in Appledore, Arnish, Belfast and Methil, marking the fifth anniversary of its apprenticeship programme and expanding its investment in Britain’s shipbuilding workforce.

According to Navantia UK, the new recruits will train in trades such as welding, fabrication and pipe fitting while earning national qualifications. Many will contribute to the Royal Navy’s Fleet Solid Support (FSS) programme, one of the UK’s largest naval shipbuilding projects and a key element of efforts to strengthen sovereign industrial capability.

The company now employs 222 apprentices across the UK, representing about a fifth of its workforce, and plans to create another 500 apprenticeship roles in the coming years. Navantia UK said this expansion will extend beyond traditional shipyard skills to include business disciplines such as project management and finance, reflecting the broader needs of modern engineering and manufacturing.

Helen McTokell, the company’s apprenticeship and training manager, said the initiative is about developing “a diverse, sustainable workforce that can deliver complex projects like the Fleet Solid Support ships.” She added that each site contributes to building the industrial strength underpinning the UK’s defence and energy sectors.

Navantia UK employs over 1,000 people in skilled, high-value roles, with hundreds more expected to join as work on the FSS programme accelerates. The firm said its training schemes are designed to transfer knowledge from its global operations to UK facilities, helping to strengthen supply chains and drive growth from the Outer Hebrides to Devon.

Apprentices taking part described the scheme as a gateway to long-term careers. One trainee in Belfast said the company “stood out as a well-known employer with excellent opportunities for development,” while a new recruit in Methil said learning through work was the best way to gain skills and confidence in the trade.

Earlier this year, Navantia UK was listed among The Sunday Times’ Top 100 apprenticeship employers, recognising its role in developing future talent across the UK shipbuilding industry.