With the Defence sector flourishing it is reassuring to see the likes of BVT, Babcock and BAE at the forefront of the industry and actively recruiting.  Matchtech is heavily involved in all defence marine projects, currently including Type 45, CVF and the Astute project.

Permanent roles at Barrow include: Project Managers, Project Leaders, Principal Engineer – Welding and Operations Engineers.

BVT Surface Fleet (Portsmouth) is looking for Project Planners and Project Managers. These roles will predominantly involve work on the CVF project and experience in a similar environment would be beneficial.

Demand for skilled trades at BVT has continued to increase dramatically, the contract workforce rising by over 200% since February 2009. This increase has been across the business from Welders to Mechanical Fitters to Painters.  Forecasts show the numbers will continue to rise over the coming months, with the focus on Mechanical Fitters, Pipefitters and Electricians.

There are also numerous vessels currently in dock for refit and repair work, resulting in a steady increase on the support side of the business for trades such as Slingers, Platers and Mechanical Fitters.

We are very pleased to be offering long term contracts to Design Draughters with ship building experience, who are currently highly sought after in Portsmouth and the North West of England in particular. Design Engineers, Naval Architects, Commissioning Engineers and Planners are also all expected to be required in the coming few months, so we would encourage anyone with relevant backgrounds to contact us urgently.

With the Type 45 Design and Build program approaching the end, the next stage will be to set up the Support office.  This will create a high number of jobs for Marine professionals and we hope to bring you more news on this in the coming editions of Opportunity.

Looking forward, everyone involved with marine engineering is eagerly anticipating new projects.   Following CVF will be the Future Surface Ship Combatant (FSC).  Intended to replace the ageing Frigates and although still at a very early stage we are already seeing jobs come through including Risk Managers and Planning Managers.  We are also expecting developments on the new Successor Submarine program, which should benefit our industry from next year onwards.

In the Shipping sector, while some clients are feeling the effects from the economic climate, there are still a number of clients coming to Matchtech with requirements, driven by new business. In particular, the need for Technical Superintendents is ever present; a broad variety of vessels require managment across the UK and Europe.