Marine and engineering jobs surge

Jul 3 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

ENGINE maker Rolls-Royce plans to expand its North East training centre as it looks to increase the number of local apprentices it takes on.

Its centre in Newcastle’s Scotswood Road will this year take on 115 apprentices. And it plans to expand at the former Mitchell plant near Vickers Defence to take on 160 next year.

Rolls-Royce NVQ assessor Tony Rowland said: “This year we will take on 115 apprenticeships and we aim to get them all jobs at the company of their choice and we aim to take on 160 people from the region in 2009.”

Mr Rowland was at a jobs fair yesterday at Newcastle’s Discovery museum run by the Marine Design Centre to find staff for the region’s booming offshore and marine industry. Marine Design Centre director David Hewitt said: “With the oil price now up to $140 a barrel, it’s creating real demand in the marine sector.

“The high price means the oil companies are exploiting fields in deeper water, more hazardous waters, and they need a lot of more infrastructure in the form of ships, floating platforms, and that leads on to the demand for design skills.”

Today the region will receive a further boost when the Ministry of Defence signs contracts to build two aircraft carriers. David Dobson, general manager of Babcock Design and Technology, of North Shields, said: “We will be signing the main contract for the construction phase of the new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy.

“We are here today to explore the opportunities that we may be able to offer to local technical and operational staff in assisting us in the execution of the major project, which will be the biggest Royal Navy project for about 40 years.”