CELEBRATIONS for Scottish Apprenticeship Week and International Women's Day (IWD) have taken place at Babcock in Rosyth.

The company welcomed 80 pupils from five local high schools who toured the site and met Babcock employees who spoke with them about their roles and the opportunities that apprenticeships and other careers can bring.

In support of IWD, a special tour for female pupils was provided to showcase the diverse opportunities that modern engineering and shipbuilding provides no matter your background or gender.

International Women’s Day 2023 was celebrated under the theme of #EmbraceEquity and aims to get the world talking about why 'equal opportunities are no longer enough', recognising that each person has different circumstances, and the allocation of the exact resources and opportunities is needed to reach an equal outcome.

Natasha Allan, Senior HR Business Partner, Babcock explained: “Equity and inclusion is rooted in our business. Flexible work patterns and advancement in technology have opened career avenues for a wide range of people, from every background.

"We want to continue to attract and retain an employee base which brings a variety of experience and expertise to our business.

“We have made significant investment in making Rosyth a digitally enabled facility that has an exciting and sustainable future and is equipped and welcoming for all.”

Scottish Apprenticeship Week also provided the opportunity to highlight the variety of apprenticeships that the company offers at Rosyth like welding, fabrication, electrical and mechanical engineering.

Supported by the theme of unlocking potential, pupils heard from apprentices about their experiences and some of the projects that they support, from the build of Royal Navy frigates to projects delivering Babcock’s commitment to a greener economy and achieving net zero emissions by 2040.

Sean Donaldson, Managing Director, Energy & Marine, Babcock – who started as an apprentice at Rosyth in 1984 – said both days allowed them to show that people can build fantastic careers on world-leading, commercial, defence and security projects at Rosyth.

He added: "We have a wide range of vacancies available, and I would encourage anyone looking for an interesting and varied career to visit jobs.babcockinternational.com."

The 2024 intake for apprentices at Rosyth will open in September. For more information, visit www.babcockinternational.com/careers/apprenticeships.