The shipbuilding industry in Scotland and across the UK faces a significant challenge – a skills gap that threatens to slow work and frustrate schedules. The demand for skilled workers often outpaces the supply, leaving vital positions unfilled and putting pressure on existing workforces.
This shortage is not just a local issue but a national concern, impacting the industry’s ability to compete globally and fulfil future defence needs.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, introducing unprecedented disruptions. Health and safety restrictions necessary to curb the spread of the virus led to reduced workforce on the shop floor and delays in project timelines. Apprenticeship and training programs, crucial for skill development and industry replenishment, faced interruptions, further widening the skills gap. The pandemic underscored the industry’s vulnerabilities, highlighting the need for resilient and innovative solutions to workforce development.
Investment in shipbuilding talent
In response, BAE Systems has invested in the future of shipbuilding talent with the creation of the Applied Shipbuilding Academy. Part of a broader £100 mn investment aimed at modernising facilities and embracing digital shipbuilding, the £12 mn academy represents a significant commitment to workforce development. Construction recently started on the new academy at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow, just downriver from Govan.
The Academy will comprise a Modern Trade Hall and a Flexible Learning Hub. The Academy will support the development of the entire workforce, from apprentices to senior leaders, and forms part of the Company’s ongoing commitment to develop future talent. BAE Systems said that the facility will accelerate the modernisation of Glasgow’s historic shipbuilding industry, upskilling the existing workforce whilst attracting new talent to secure its future for generations to come. The facility will have areas dedicated to each shipbuilding trade, ship-realistic mock-up environments and research plus technology facilities. There will be more than 30 classrooms, a STEM innovation lab and office facilities.
When completed in the second half of 2024, the Shipbuilding Academy will provide bespoke training for almost 4,500 employees, including nearly 700 apprentices. The company was keen to stress to me that this facility will also help upskill and train their current workforce, allowing them to work more efficiently. These new facilities will also enable a substantial expansion of the successful early careers programmes at BAE Systems, doubling the intake in Glasgow to more than 200 new apprentices each year.
A new generation of shipbuilders
By addressing the skills gap head-on, BAE Systems has made clear that it aims to cultivate a new generation of shipbuilders equipped to handle the challenges of modern naval construction and ensure the industry’s growth and competitiveness, not just at its own sites.
BAE Systems is set to add 300 more apprentices and graduates to its workforce in Scotland in 2024 as the company continues to increase its shipbuilding capacity. This move is part of a broader strategy by BAE Systems to recruit almost 2,700 trainees across the UK, marking a notable increase in its commitment to developing young talent. The Govan and Scotstoun sites in Glasgow, tasked with building the advanced Type 26 frigates for the Royal Navy, will be major beneficiaries of this influx of new talent, so will Ferguson Marine down the river, currently undertaking work on the new frigates alongside fitting out the new ferries.
Charles Woodburn, Chief Executive BAE Systems, said previously:
“As the UK’s largest manufacturer, we have sites located right across the country and we’re investing hundreds of millions of pounds to equip young people with the skills they need to achieve their full potential. Providing high-quality apprenticeships and graduate programmes gives young people a route into long-term employment and helps to grow the talent we need to deliver vital national defence and security programmes, including future fighter jets, nuclear-powered submarines and low earth orbit satellites.”
By proactively addressing the skills gap with substantial investments in training and modernisation, BAE Systems is poised to reinforce Scotland’s shipbuilding industry, ensuring it remains competitive and capable of meeting both current and future challenges.
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