With its largest shipyard based in Belfast, the Harland & Wolff Group has announced that it has reached 1,000 employees across the company's facilities on both sides of the Irish Sea. 

The international shipbuilding and marine engineering business continues to actively recruit new staff to meet demand at its UK fabrication sites in Appledore, Arnish, Belfast and Methil. In addition to their commercial footprint in Aberdeen, London and Southampton.

The milestone was passed this week and comes at the end of a significant year for the business, a year in which it was awarded, as part of the Team Resolute consortium with Navantia UK and BMT, a contract to build three Fleet Solid Support (FSS) vessels.

Andrew Jackson, Harland & Wolff Human Resources Director, said: “We are delighted to celebrate hitting the milestone of 1,000 employees. This is a significant moment for our company as we look to build-upon the progress we have made over the last few years and prepare to deliver key maritime and specialist engineering programmes in line with the UK government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy refresh.

“The £77m investment we’ve received as part of Team Resolute has of course been a key catalyst in our recruitment drive and desire to transform Harland & Wolff’s yards into some of the most advanced in the world. We are welcoming hundreds of new colleagues right across the business, and in all disciplines, talent that will ensure deep and enduring links with the communities with which we work.”

#QEaircraftcarriers - On Armistice Day the massive hull of the Royal Navy's newbuild 65,000 tonnes aircraft-carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, was finally completed with the 'ski-ramp' slotted into place at Rosyth Dockyard, writes Jehan Ashmore.

The facility on the Forth of Fife is one of three Scottish shipyards that despite job losses are to remain open in the UK and continue building warships for the Royal Navy, following recent plans to close the shipyard in Portsmouth in 2014.

The momentous occasion saw the installation of the 130-tonne section ski-ramp which is designed to assist the F35 Lightning IIs to get airborne off the expansive flight deck of the Royal Navy's future flagship.

Only the radar and lifts remain to be lifted into place by 'Goliath' not to be confused with the same namesake given to one of Harland & Wolff's giant yellow cranes. The Scottish 'Goliath' is superior in that the crane is the UK's largest, capable of boaring loads up to 1,000 tons.

The newbuild HMS Queen Elizabeth is the leadship of a pair "QE-Class" aircraft-carriers which is to be followed by HMS Prince of Wales. They will represent the biggest and most powerful surface warships ever constructed for the Royal Navy. HMS Queen Elizabeth after fitting-out and sea-trials is to scheduled to enter service in 2017.

The cost of new aircraft carriers is expected to be almost twice the original estimate in which the according to latest budget, the Ministry of Defence estimates the cost of the two ships at £6.2bn.

The QE –class replace the Invincible-class trio in which the 22,000 tonnes HMS Illustrious (RO6) remains the last in service albeit in the role as a converted helicopter carrier. As previously reported, HMS Illustrious paid a visit to Dublin Port in April and was illuminated in green for the Gathering.

To build the QE –class aircraft carriers which present complexity and challenges requires many skills and experience which led to the establishment of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance which is between BAE Systems, THALES and Babcock.

Of the 37 main sections that were constructed to assemble HMS Queen Elizabeth, yards including Babcock's Marine's north Devon shipyard in Appledore were involved in building sections. The sections were then transported by barge to the newbuild in Scotland.

Babcock won the €99m contract from the Irish Department of Defence to build a pair of OPV's currently under construction also in Devon for the Naval Service. The first of the enhanced 'Roisin' / OPV P90 class L.E. Samuel Beckett (P61) is due for delivery in early 2014.