THE man at the helm of the UK's
biggest shipbuilding company
has praised a North-East marine
design facility for its efforts to
tackle a skills issue that threatens
to subdue the region's thriving
sector.
Alan Johnston, chief executive
of BVT Surface Fleet - a joint
venture between BAE Systems
and VT Shipbuilding - hailed the
Marine Design Centre, in Newcastle,
as playing a potentially
crucial role in recruitment and
training.
Mr Johnston recently visited
the £2.3m centre - the first of its
kind in the country and which
aims, by 2016, to help add £100m
to the North-East marine and defence
sectors through new contracts.
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Mr Johnston said the issue of
skills was one that urgently needed
to be tackled in the sector, and
praised the Marine Design Centre
for its contribution.
"There are great opportunities
for manufacturers and marine
design companies to win substantial
orders in the coming
years from the UK Defence sector,"
he said.
"However, the issue of resource
and skills must be addressed
continually if these opportunities
are to be realised.
"We need to build a sustainable
industry and a strong supply
chain that has an abundance of
skilled people capable of utilising
new technologies to innovate
and create added value.
"I am very impressed by the
Marine Design Centre and its ambition
to support the marine sector
in the region so that it is fully
capable of meeting the challenges
and, most importantly, the
opportunities that it faces now
and in the future.
"If it can help provide solutions
to issues such as training
and skills, recruitment into
the sector and the best use of
new technologies, then it will
provide great service to the
North-East and the sector it promotes."
David Hewitt, director of the
Marine Design Centre, welcomed
Mr Johnston's remarks.
"Alan Johnston's comments
about the industry reflect the issues
that many of our members
keep reinforcing when we meet
with them," he said.
"There are great opportunities
throughout the globe, not just in
the defence sector but in commercial
shipping, oil and gas and
renewable energy, and North-
East companies are in an exceptionally
good position to take advantage.
"The region is once again becoming
a real international force
in the marine sector and we need
to ensure we have the resource to
take advantage of each and every
opportunity that becomes available."
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