05 Jan 2006
BAE Systems Submarines is seeking to create up to 60 new jobs at the Barrow yard to increase the core workforce to manufacture, fit and weld the pipes that form a vital element of the Astute class.
The advertisements have appeared in the local press and job centres and the aim is to recruit the new workers as soon as possible.
The recruitment drive aims to reduce the reliance on short term contract workers and build what is seen as a vital skill base within the yard, both for the current submarines orders and for future work such as the Future Aircraft Carrier sections that may be built at the yard.
Head of Employee Relations Ted Creighton explained: “We constantly review the skill set within the yard and how it matches our production and future plan requirements. Pipe mechanical workers have always been a vital part of our core skills base, and we are currently seeking workers who already have those skills in manufacturing, fitting and welding pipes, while we also continue to invest in training school-leavers and more mature apprentices.”
More than 23,000 pipes (amounting to 10 kilometres of pipework) are fitted on the Astute submarine. They are manufactured in a variety of materials including carbon steel; stainless steel; copper; copper nickel; plastic; fibreglass; flexible rubber and plastic and are involved in the delivery of a huge range of functions including hydraulic operation, life support & emergency breathing, water & drainage, fire fighting, fuel, coolant systems and nuclear reactor operation.
The Barrow shipyard currently employs more than 3250 people in its core workforce plus more than 180 contractors and contract agency personnel.
