Babcock International Group has signed a new agreement with Fife College and Forth Valley College aimed at accelerating the development of Scotland’s defence and advanced manufacturing workforce.

The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), is intended to strengthen collaboration between industry and further education providers as demand grows for engineering, digital and technical skills across Scotland’s strategically important defence and industrial sectors.

The agreement builds on an established relationship between the organisations and focuses on expanding apprenticeship opportunities, alongside supporting the upskilling and reskilling of local people in critical STEM disciplines.

The MoU was highlighted during Scottish Apprenticeship Week at Babcock’s Rosyth facility, where the partners outlined their shared ambition to create clearer pathways into high-value careers linked to major defence programmes. The event was attended by Defence Readiness and Industry Minister Luke Pollard MP.

Pollard said the partnership demonstrated how closer collaboration between industry and education could help strengthen the UK’s defence and manufacturing capability.

“This partnership demonstrates exactly what Scotland needs to ensure that its defence and advanced manufacturing sectors continue to thrive,” he said. “By bringing together industry and academia, this joint skills pact will create meaningful opportunities for people across Fife and the Forth Valley, while strengthening the skills pipeline that underpins our shared security and national resilience.”

Babcock, which describes itself as Scotland’s largest engineering employer, already works closely with both colleges, which have delivered engineering and technical training to employers across the Fife and Forth Valley regions for decades.

Under the new agreement, the organisations will work together to expand technical education pathways and support the skills pipeline required for defence programmes based at Rosyth, including naval shipbuilding and related industrial projects.

Gareth Hedicker, Chief Operating Officer for Babcock’s Marine Sector, said the pact marked an important step in building the workforce required for future defence programmes.

“This joint skills pact represents a major milestone in our collective commitment to build Scotland’s future workforce,” he said. “By combining our industrial expertise with the colleges’ proven capability in technical education, we are creating clear, long-term pathways into high-value careers that support national defence and advanced manufacturing programmes.”

Kenny MacInnes, Principal of Forth Valley College, said the partnership reflected the importance of collaboration between education providers and industry.

“Forth Valley College has a well-established reputation in engineering, digital and technical skills, built through years of working closely with industry partners,” he said. “By collaborating with employers such as Babcock to understand their evolving needs, we create innovative training solutions that support a skilled workforce for the future.”

Jim Metcalf, Principal of Fife College, added that strengthening the partnership would help support regional economic growth as well as national defence capability.

“At Fife College, we are proud of our long-standing partnership with Babcock and the role we play in developing skilled engineers, technicians and digital specialists alongside our partners at Forth Valley College,” he said. “By aligning our curriculum even more closely with industry need, we are creating pathways into high-value careers and boosting the regional economy.”



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