Jobs boost as Babcock announce new Rosyth intake
Published 29 Aug 2012 10:15
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New apprentices Jennifer Maxwell and David Reilly at the dockyard.
Picture: Jim Payne
BABCOCK have shown their faith in West Fife youth by announcing a new intake of nearly 40 apprentices and university graduates at their Rosyth dockyard.
The engineering giant is currently assembling two new Royal Navy aircraft carriers at its Rosyth base, and hopes to become a major player in the renewable energy industry.
The new team of 27 modern apprentices and 11 university graduates includes 12 welders, six project technicians and four technical apprentices.
After studying at Carnegie College in their first year they will continue their apprenticeship by working on the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers - one of the largest engineering projects underway in the UK.
Project management apprentice Jennifer Maxwell (25), from Dunfermline, is one of the new intake and the former Woodmill High School pupil is looking forward to getting started in her new role after working her way up from a job in Babcock's visitor centre.
She said, "I've been here for six years, I went for a job as a customer advisor in equipment solutions after the visitor centre and when I saw the apprentice opportunity come up I thought it was something I would be suited to.
"I live only ten minutes along the road from the dockyard so it's great to have this kind of opportunity coming up locally."
One of Jennifer's new colleagues, David Reilly (24), is similarly enthusiastic about starting the new apprenticeship.
David's father Joseph began working in the Rosyth dockyards at the age of 19 and has worked his way to a job as a director and general manager at Babcock.
The former Inverkeithing High School pupil studied criminology at university but dropped out when he realised it wasn't for him and has been working on and off at the dockyard for the past three and a half years.
The new project management apprentice said, "I'm from Dunfermline and I've always been a Fife lad so I think it's great to see new jobs still coming here. I've actually left the dockyard twice before but I keep coming back so I'm either doing something very right or something very wrong.
"The good thing about project management is that it covers such a wide range of applications, so it will give me options. It's a good chance and I want to stick around here for as long as I can."
The first aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is expected to be completed by 2016 and its construction is currently running on schedule.
Sean Donaldson, Babcock project director at Rosyth, said, "The new apprenticeships are good for the area and show there's a great future at Rosyth. We're working on a fantastic project with the aircraft carriers but we're looking beyond that by taking on people who are going to be working in renewable energy and oil and gas.
"We have appointed over 200 apprentices in the last four years, that shows the scale and scope of our growing business. It's great that we can extend it further."
This article appeared in Dunfermline Press 29 Aug 12
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cheepcheep
19 posts
Aug 30, 23:51
Report commentPersonally this story is a load of rubbish!! I know many college students looking for apprenticeships and have been the last few years and babcock keep saying there are none???? So where were these advertised cause they must've been invisible ads. I don't believe for a minute they recruited 200 apprenticeships in the last 4 years, what aload of tripe!!! All that's in this story is someone they employed 6 years ago and someone who got the job because his daddy worked there, well everyone knows relatives get these jobs/ apprenticeships before anyone else even if they aren't qualified. Let us here from the so called 200 apprentices to back up you claims.
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MrsScottsWeeLaddie
48 posts
Aug 31, 10:51
Report commentThat's a bit unfair cheepcheep! Although Babcock have made and continue to make a lot of money from the area, and they certainly could and should do more for the local community. It's good that local young people are being offered these opportunities and Babcock deserve a bit of credit for it! As for "someone getting the job because Daddy worked there" that's really unfair on the guy, who must have the qualifications etc required and has grabbed an opportunity, good for him! The girl using her initiative to move from admin to a modern apprenticeship is the smart thing to do too. Both these young people deserve congratulations not criticism, as do all those who have got these jobs.
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