1 Aug 2023

Babcock launches Skills Academy to meet the challenges of tomorrow

Clyde apprentices 1

We are pleased to launch the Babcock Skills Academy, to enhance our growing workforce’s capabilities and ensure we are equipped to meet the evolving challenges our customers will face in the future.

The Skills Academy uses a hybrid teaching model that combines cutting-edge digital resources and hands on training, to rapidly get our people ready to deliver the critical capabilities our customers need. Open to all employees and new recruits, the Skills Academy will operate in partnership with local education establishments and will complement our award-winning early careers programmes.

Initially launching at our Devonport facility, with a focus on submarine support and critical nuclear skills, the Skills Academy’s training facilities enable learning of the complex skills required to perform deep submarine maintenance.

Underpinning our commitment to ensuring our people have the training to perform complex, mission critical tasks, more than 2,000 people are expected to pass through the Skills Academy in its first three years, and a further 10,000 over the following five years. By focusing on targeted learning, the Skills Academy will accelerate time to competence, in some cases by as much as 67%, compared to traditional training methods.

Dominic Kieran, Chief Executive of Babcock’s Nuclear Sector, said: “Our ambitious, modern and collaborative Skills Academy will deliver enhanced capability, now and in the long-term, to drive improved submarine availability and equip our Royal Navy customer with the assets they need to conduct their duties in the defence of our nation.

“With the largest nuclear qualified workforce in the UK, and our vast experience of supporting the UK submarine enterprise across the submarine lifecycle, we are uniquely placed to apply this extensive knowledge to our training programmes and deliver the pipeline of talent required now and in the future.

“The Babcock Skills Academy is more than just a training solution, it’s a commitment to our people, our industry and our customer – their mission is our mission.”