Babcock International Group say it is creating more than 1,000 new jobs at its large-scale, advanced manufacturing and shipbuilding facility in Rosyth to support the delivery of world-class programmes and development of its workforce capabilities.
Underpinning Babcock’s commitment to further develop the skills required to support customers now and in the future, over the next four years, the new job opportunities will benefit both the UK economy and local communities and include 400 apprenticeships, 350 production support operatives, skilled engineers, tradespeople, and graduates.
The roles will support programmes like the Type 31 frigate design and build programme.
“The production support operative initiative is focused on attracting people from a range of backgrounds and experience, including those not currently in education, employment, or training, with the role centred around supporting and learning from time-served tradespeople. Babcock’s latest recruits will join a state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing and digitally enabled facility that in recent decades has seen investment of more than £200 million.”
Apprentice numbers are also increasing at Babcock’s operation on the west coast of Scotland, supporting His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde and the UK’s submarine enterprise, with Babcock’s apprenticeship opportunities expected to double in 2024.
David Lockwood, Chief Executive, Babcock International Group, said:
“Attracting and retaining talent is essential to the future success of our business and directly benefits the local communities in which we operate. Continued investment in Babcock’s development programmes and facilities enables our apprentices, graduates and trainees to experience a mix of on-the-job learning in a modern, digitally led industrial environment, alongside academic training with further education partners and our own Babcock Skills Academy. This week is Scottish Apprenticeship Week; our apprentices play a really important role in our workforces across the UK, ensuring we can sustain the technical skills needed to continue to deliver critical national defence programmes.”
Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said:
“Rosyth is at the heart of major UK defence and commercial programmes, and it was a privilege to meet skilled workers and apprentices there last week. A career with Babcock can provide these unique opportunities and skilled technical training, whilst making a huge contribution to the Scottish economy.”
Paul Sheerin, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering, said:
“Babcock Rosyth’s announcement is fantastic news for the engineering industry in Scotland – and the wider UK too – and the very best of timing as it coincides with Scottish Apprenticeship Week. With a staggering four hundred of the one thousand newly created roles being apprentices, what a fantastic opportunity to add highly skilled, well-paid jobs to our economy, and boost our talent pool significantly. It creates the chance for people new to the world of work, and those seizing the option to change track on their career, to contribute to the never more important security of the UK.”
Strange for a shipyard that does not have any orders past 2030 officially. Mighty they know something we don’t.
My thoughts exactly Jim. Same with BAE in Glasgow. Barrow I understand with the tail end of Astute, Dreadnaught SSN AUKUS. The frigate yards, the future does not seem clear from the public pronouncements
I think that they do
Hmm, interesting….🤔
Hi M8 It’s no mystery, it’s nothing to do with T31 or Japan it’s all part of AUKUS and the future boats which from now on I will start to call SSN(A). Last year MOD signed a £4 billion contract with 3 UK companies to work together to design, build and support the AUKUS boats, all 3 have Australian subsidiaries. They are BAe, RR and Babcock and this is Babcock kicking off the uplift in facilities, recruitment and training needed to deliver their part of the process. As an aside I suspect that once H&W are back up and running… Read more »
How about we just start calling the AUKUS boats Orcas, on account of them being at the top of the food chain
Morning mate. All makes sense now, thanks for that.
Thanks, that’s a really handy insight- good news in terms of UK PLC, the NSBS, etc. for a change!
You mention the Rosyth docks getting upgraded, what do you think that will be for- surface ships or subs? Just out of interest.
The upgraded H&W getting QE class maintenance makes a great deal of sense to me- it feels excruciating to me that the carriers have such small margin of error for clearance when entering and exiting their primary deep maintenance facility…
Agreed. With the T31 detailed design (incl. Polish and Indonesian export variants) about finished, I was expecting Babcock to soon warn that senior staff (architects, designers, engineers …) would have to be laid off unless serious work started on the T32 (aka T31B2) by next year. Give that Australia decided to give the T31/32 a miss, I’m trying to figure out what rabbit they expect to pull out of the hat. Ireland, Chile, Saudi Arabia, Finland, New Zealand, Ukraine … none look likely to be a big win in the next year or two.
Have a read of my reply to DM.
Non-MOD/RN work? (non-domestic orders)
I sincerely hope that this means something is in the pipeline. The build time for the existing T31’s is fairly quick so extra T31’s ( he dreams) or an earlier T32? Fingers crossed.👍
T31s for RAN?
They seemed to have said no. A great shame. I think with a few tweaks AH140 would be perfect for them.
Canada maybe. Replacements for the Halifax class?
Taking a leaf out of Australia’s book and dropping the number of CSC? Last I heard they’d put in about $600m CAN extra to speed up the CSC delivery. It would be odd if a few months later they were already going high-low.
Still, odder things have happened.
Maybe replacements for the Kingston class.
I would have thought the batch 2 Rivers were a closer fit.
They would but the mine/countermine ability mixed with a light/medium surface combatant is what is being looked over for a Kingston class replacement.
The Harry DeWolfe class is taking on more of a River Class role.
Vard marine has a ‘Vigilance’ class that has these abilities.
The Kingstons are great value as mine sweepers/sub surface coastal patrol but more armament and modular mission payloads is the evolution for this niche.
Wow! OK, I understand – a piece of a bigger jigsaw. 🙂
Canada has shown interest with the South Korean KS-III subs too. A lot of interest.
Lot going on in Canada defence wise.
A key requirement for the new procurement for the RAN is that the ship is in active service (i.e is a proven ship design), as such the Babcock proposal did not meet this basic requirement, and will not until the Venturer is in RN service.
Ah! Yeah, forgot that.
Sounds good to me, hopefully more happening than we’ve been told, off topic just read Japan could be asked to join AUKUS with certain technologies, another sounds good to me.
Yes been whispers of this for some time and it’s crying out for JAUKUS 🈳 It’s clear that AUKUS is a stealthily developing mutual defence set up in which case Japan will be a vital element. But till then its technological and industrial contribution will equally be a great asset and can only help the Anglo/Japanese military cooperation. Canadians might be disappointed it’s not CAUKUS mind but sounds too much like a Trump election campaign to me but considering potential longer term Russian/Chinese threats to Alaska that might be sensible too to make sure there is instant potential to bring… Read more »
Haha yeah I think America’s going to be scary when the voting starts, I’m hoping for a clear winner and no civil war, and I’d work with the Japanese as much as possible, I defo think different projects we’ll bounce off eachother really well and help both countries out.
As for Canada, I’d be surprised if they weren’t talking about it now.
The problem I have with Canada joining AUKUS is that other than Raw Materials, Energy and Strategic Position I struggle to think what they can add to mix. If you look at Canadian Defence it’s pretty well all OTS or adapted foreign designs. It’s a tragedy because in the 50’s to 70’s Canada innovated, designed and built a lot of superb military equipment. Now ?? AUKUS is about cooperation, risk sharing and innovation and revolves (at present) around 2 pillars. Pillar 1 is about the provision of SSN for Australia. Pillar 2 Is innovation and advanced capabilities. Canada will never… Read more »
You named what Canada can bring to AUKUS. Strategic raw resources and high tech innovation along with AI research and development.
That falls within a pillar 2 participation.
Canada has purchased F-35s, Reaper Drones, 15x T26 frigates, 14x P8 Poseidons , building 8 arctic OPVs, air defence systems and tripling the size of the forward presence group in Latvia with to a mechanized brigade group by next year.
There are other projects of interest but no funding yet
No argument about the 2% but the Canadians are not idle either.
Yep it makes huge sense to get Japan involved with AUKUS but they don’t want SSN. But Pillar 2 is a great fit for them “Advanced Capabilities”.
I’d like the RAN to have mixed fleet of subs, 5 diesel for coastal and close regional and 5 nuclear for further afield. Diesel might be able to visit more ports and infrastructure is already here and particularly keep NZ onside.
We all have our own if only this or that ideas on this site, but fact is Australia has made the decision to go all in on SSN. Now if you suggested that Australia were to purchase 6 Japanese Taigei class SK to add mass to Australias 6 Collins until the SSN fleet take over, I’d agree with you. As an interim measure maybe a mixed fleet would work, but not long term RAN wants SSN with USN weapons. That would also avoid the need to try and LIFEX the Collins boats, increase the number of crews and fit in… Read more »
If that’s where it’s going, then the other logical partner would be South Korea- given their inroads into defence equipment sales in Australia and potentially the UK. Which I think would make JAUKUSSK?
We’re getting pretty close to a Countdown conundrum with that, now..!
So back too the size of the Dockyard workforce when it was a Naval dockyard gone full circle
Glad for Rosyth. Gaps between orders can be harroiwing when you’re on a shipyard as to who & when you may get laid off.
Pity we can’t get some warship building going again in England too, Plymouth, Porstsmouth, Mersyside, Teeside. Regenerating capabilitty & skills, diversifying critical sites. All your eggs in very few baskets makes for easy targetting & severe vulnerabilities when peace becomes illusoury. Dogmatic, short sighted, savings can cost the nation dearly.
Appledore is building again I think.
Considering the significant gap the RN seems to have in BDM (Ballistic Missile Defense), is a wonder if we are not set to order some Type 32s that are not general purpose but of a BDM variant to supplement the low availability of the Type 45 (or cynically, give future governments an excuse to retire the Type 45 early).
I doubt Defence will get an uplift in funding and there lies the nub.
The cons will bribe the electorate today with a ‘tax cut’ that the great unwashed will think is wonderful.
Unfortunately, it will constrain the Labour Party even in more in terms of financial manoeuvre; of course the Labour Party could wait until in election and reverse it… £480/12… do people notice being a tenner a week better off? I doubt it. Any money raised / spare will go to fund the great NHS sink hole.
Defence is stuffed, either way.
Agreed Defence not even up for discussion 😞
Not being discussed is a disgrace.
👍
Mr Hunt’s budget tax cuts will give people a feel good factor; this will encourage them to borrow and spend which will in turn give entrepreneurs to invest, which will give people more choice; the economy will grow, the government will be able to take more tax so we can reduce NHS waiting lists and spend more on defence. We just have to be patient, the plan is working; another 12 years should do it 🙂 In the meantime make sure you save enough to pay your council tax because that’s slated to increase by 5% annually for the next… Read more »
If the powers that be can just indulge and order a few more T31s then it’ll be even bettwr job creation and security and hopefully some more export sales will follow. No further news yet if NZ might get a couple?
It’s budget day. I expect the Chancellor will be announcing he has found enough money for another 12 frigates.
We’ll have what your 🍻!!
All joking apart I do believe the UK ought to be planning a quantum increase in the RN fleet if we want the world to stay free of China and Russias ‘new world order’ of autocracy.
Yes. More ships can be in more places. And to capitalise on the T26 /T31s already in build. It’s priorities, resources, and monies. Hope there’s a few more T31s to come for the RN and exports.
Is this Babcock money? Or taxpayers money supporting a Scottish job retention scheme? (Rivers….cough…cough). Hate to be a pessamist btw.
It’s nothing to do with Scottish job retention or creation it’s to with UK PLC being able to fulfil its AUKUS commitments. All 3 of the UK partner companies are getting huge amounts of investment for new facilities, recruitment and training and Babcock is one of them.
That investment is co funded by the AUKUS countries including us, but the long term return on that investment over the next half century will be considerable.
Essentially U.K Nuclear Submarine building and maintenance capacity needs to increase by 60% over the next decade and is probably going to have to stay there.
Jolly good but with only 5 T31’s being built I fear a rather short boom and bust cycle.
Good luck finding 1000 competent people at the moment…its a really tight market.