Cammell Laird Secures Prestigious Future Skills Award.

Cammell Laird was delighted to win the ‘Future Skills Award’ at the 2023 Mersey Maritime Awards.

The Mersey Maritime Awards, which celebrated its 9th Anniversary, was held at Liverpool Cathedral on Thursday 2nd of November. Over 550 guests from the UK’s maritime industry came together to recognise the achievements of local Merseyside businesses.

The Future Skills Award recognises businesses which are committed to developing the skills of young people looking to forge their career in the Maritime Industry.

Cammell Laird’s award-winning apprenticeship programme was established in 1997 and hundreds of young people have since completed the programme.

Cammell Laird currently recruits 50 new apprentices every year and today there are 171 apprentices at the facility. This figure will increase to 200 by 2025.

The apprenticeship programme is supported by The Engineering College, a state-of-the-art maritime college, located next to the facility, which works in partnership with Cammell Laird to deliver the apprenticeship programme, which meets the requirements of the business.

Cammell Laird also has an active graduate training programme, offering graduate opportunities in the technical department for naval architects and marine engineers.

Mike Hill, Managing Director of Cammell Laird, said: “Apprentices are the life blood of our organisation, providing the invaluable skills and expertise we need at every level - from the ground floor right up to the boardroom.

“All of this has been made possible by an apprenticeship programme which has been designed and honed over the years to provide a broad, real-world education that not only provides jobs for young people, but also provides them with clear progression pathways.”

David McGinley, CEO of APCL Group, said: “I am extremely proud of Cammell Laird’s apprenticeship programme.

“Our apprentices are currently working on projects of national significance such as the block build of Type 26 and the Drednought class of ballistic submarine, as well as supporting our commercial customers.

“Our apprentices and graduates are the future of our business, and I am delighted that Cammell Laird’s commitment to training and development has been recognised by this prestigious award.”

Ruth Wood, CEO of Mersey Maritime, added: “The Future Skills Award has been awarded to Cammell Laird in recognition of the facility’s commitment to providing a clear career pathway to hundreds of young people in Wirral and wider Liverpool City Region. Cammell Laird’s apprenticeship programme not only provides career prospects to young people, but also ensures we continue to develop and retain vital maritime skills in the Liverpool City Region. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone involved and look forward to supporting the continued growth of the programme.”