BABCOCK have unveiled plans to recruit 500 workers at Rosyth Dockyard to help build five new warships for the Royal Navy.

The defence, security and aerospace company made the announcement on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of the Venturer Building, their new £31.5 million indoor assembly hall.

The state-of-the-art facility gives them the capability to build two vessels at the same time and a recruitment drive to help them fulfil the £1.25 billion Type 31 frigates project is now under way.

Will Erith, chief executive of Babcock Marine, said: “We are delighted to mark St Andrew’s Day by celebrating the completion of the Venturer Building, which builds on our exceptional heritage in Scotland, delivering a very real step change in capacity and capability for modern UK shipbuilding.

“From the start of this programme, we’ve been focusing on prosperity, supporting both the UK and local economies, and so it is great we are also announcing 500 new roles on the same day who will directly support the Type 31 programme.”

The jobs are for a variety of trades including welders, fabricators, mechanical and electrical fitters as well as production support operatives.

With the 500 new roles, at its height the programme will involve around 1,250 workers across the UK directly and will support a similar number of indirect jobs in the extended supply chain.

Further opportunities will include operations production management, quality and planning.

The jobs announcement was made as Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman, employees, industry representatives and trade unions gathered to witness the commemorative ‘topping out’ ceremony at the new shipbuilding facility.

The event included a demonstration of two 125-tonne gantry cranes, which will be used to assemble the frigates, with local schoolchildren adding the final touches by helping to plant bulbs and shrubs around the hall's perimeter.

At 147 metres long, the new shipbuilding hall could fit three Olympic-size swimming pools comfortably and took two years to complete.

The Venturer Building will be used initially for the assembly of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates, providing a facility that can support UK and international shipbuilding activity for decades to come.

As the programme continues, the fully-covered hall will house two frigates for uninterrupted, parallel assembly and will support increased productivity gains through improved access to the platforms and digital connectivity.

Mr Erith added: “I would like to thank everyone involved in the construction of this fantastic building and especially our contractors, Robertson Construction.

"This moment demonstrates further progress in the Type 31 programme and adds to the significant investment over the last decade at our facilities in Rosyth; bringing advancements and efficiencies into manufacturing, build and assembly processes."

All five ships are expected to be delivered by the end of 2028 and to enter service with the Royal Navy by the end of 2030, with the first expected in the water in 2023.