Scottish Secretary Ian Murray returned to Navantia UK's Methil yard to see the first steel cut on a new vessel after the company was taken over in a major UK Government backed deal.
00:00Last time we were here it was November, December, what a transformation, what six months down the line, seven months down the line, what a transformation, how important is it today to the yard?
00:09Well we've been making that case for this yard throughout this whole process, when the yard got into trouble, Nevanti have come in, the government have supported that in terms of taking all four UK yards together, two of which in Scotland, this one being key here in Bethel, and today it's all about the steel cutting for the new fleet support ship which is going to come out of this yard here,
00:28because from the second I walked in here, whether it be last time or the other two times I was here before, there's a world class workforce here producing world class products and we should be using that and utilising it for more jobs here in Bethel and Fife and more growth here in Bethel and Fife.
00:41Because the number of staff working here now, the last thing we're here, there's 10, 12 guys, there's a couple hundred here now, there's a sense of vibrancy?
00:48Well this £8 million contract from the UK government that's being produced behind us here, today that's bringing on 35 new jobs but they've also got 50 apprentices in here, these are the platers and the welders of the future and the one thing we're short of in Scotland in particular but across the whole of the UK is that skilled workforce of platers and welders and they're bringing on the next generation here.
01:08We have the highest, nearly one in six young people are not in education, employment or training across Scotland and these are the kinds of apprenticeships that we desperately need for those people to get into work and not only for today but for their careers into the future.
01:20So it's up to us as a government now to make sure that these yards that have been given a new lease of life by Navantia get the contracts and get that pipeline of work for careers in the future.
03:10We're here today with yourself and Secretary Ian Murray. It's a huge day for the plant for the yard. What does this mean for the yard today?
03:17This is a brilliant day for Metal Yard. Having gone through the turmoil of a year ago when we lost the yard, we went bankrupt to today when we see the steel being cut and the £8 million new programme of activity for the yard building this new barge and showing the skills and talents of this workforce.
03:39It's not only great news for the yard. It's not only great news for the yard. It's not only great news for the yard. It's not only great news for the yard the workers creating now, but also a great aspect for what this yard can do in the future and we can be so optimistic about the future of this yard and its workforce now.
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