BAE Systems Commences Construction of £12m Shipbuilding Academy

The UK shipbuilding industry has been given a further boost with the announcement that BAE Systems has commenced construction of a £12m shipbuilding academy in Glasgow. 

Dubbed the ‘Applied Shipbuilding Academy’, the facility will be located at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard on the banks of the River Clyde. 

Consisting of a Modern Trade Hall and Flexible Learning Hub, the academy will support the entirety of the workforce, from apprentices through to senior leaders. 

According to a statement released by BAE Systems, the Modern Trade Hall will be created by retrofitting an historic industrial building. Within the building there will be areas dedicated to each shipbuilding trade. Other areas will include ship-realistic mock up environments and R&D facilities. 

Next door to the Modern Trade Hall will sit the ‘Flexible Learning Hub’, which will host up to 30 classrooms, a STEM innovation lab, and office facilities. 

Commenting on the beginning of construction, Paul Feely, Academy and Engineering Director at BAE Systems’ Naval Ships business, said: 

“This new training facility is an exciting demonstration of our commitment to shipbuilding on the Clyde, allowing us to further support thousands of highly skilled jobs in Scotland. Our investment in Glasgow will help us to deliver the national endeavour that is the Type 26 programme and ensure that we can provide navies around the world with a competitive edge in the decades to come”.

BAE Systems’ investment in the Applied Shipbuilding Academy follows similar investments in Samlesbury and Barrow-in-Furness in the North West of England. The company has also commenced construction of a modern shipbuilding hall in Govan. 

Combined, these investments will support the delivery of the eight Type 26 frigates that BAE Systems has been commissioned to deliver for the Royal Navy. 

The Applied Shipbuilding Academy is expected to be completed in the second half of this year and will provide bespoke training for almost 4,500 employees and nearly 700 apprentices. 

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