'An exciting moment': Harland & Wolff welcomes 66 new apprentices as £90m investment drives Belfast shipbuilding revival

Navantia UK has welcomed 66 new apprentices to Harland & Wolff Belfast as major investment in the yard supports the revival of large-scale shipbuilding and the development of a new generation of skilled workers in Northern Ireland.

The apprentices join at a pivotal moment for the Belfast yard, which will assemble, commission and deliver all three of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s new Fleet Solid Support ships.

The programme is bringing major shipbuilding activity back to Belfast and placing the yard at the heart of a strategically important UK defence programme.

The new recruits are being trained across disciplines including welding, fabrication, pipe fitting, project planning and technical support, with apprenticeship pathways also expanding into areas such as HR, finance and procurement.

Their arrival forms part of Navantia UK’s wider drive to grow its workforce and develop the skills needed to support a long-term pipeline of defence, shipbuilding and industrial work across its four UK yards in Belfast, Appledore, Methil and Arnish.

Navantia UK is investing more than £157 million across its UK facilities, including over £90 million in Belfast. The programme includes upgraded fabrication halls, mechanised panel lines, automation and new digital technologies designed to increase the yard’s capacity and productivity.

The extension of Belfast’s fabrication hall was completed earlier this year, while its new panel line became operational in July.

The upgrades form part of Navantia UK’s Shipyard 5.0 approach, combining advanced manufacturing, automation, digital engineering and real-time production monitoring with Belfast’s longstanding shipbuilding expertise.

Harland & Wolff Belfast has built around 1,700 ships over its history, including 175 for the Royal Navy. Navantia UK’s investment is now helping restore the yard’s capability to deliver major naval shipbuilding programmes while creating skilled, long-term career opportunities in Northern Ireland.

Helen McTokell, apprenticeship and training manager at Navantia UK, said: “Apprenticeships are central to Navantia UK’s plans to build the skilled workforce our business, and the wider UK shipbuilding industry, will need for the future.

“These new apprentices are joining Belfast at an exciting moment, as we invest in the yard, grow our workforce and deliver one of the UK’s most significant shipbuilding programmes. They will have the opportunity to develop highly skilled, rewarding careers while playing a direct role in the future of UK shipbuilding and supporting a programme of real national importance.”