Visiting the BAE Systems shipyards

South Australia's submarine future is filled with potential. Visiting the BAE Systems shipyards in Barrow-in-Furness has helped me understand the scale of the work ahead of us and the greatness of the opportunity. Barrow-in-Furness has been the site of the UK's nuclear-powered submarine build since 1963 and the size and scale of the operation is difficult to describe, suffice to say these machines are amongst the most complex things that are built globally and the skills required are immense.

At Barrow, BAE Systems has developed the Submarine Academy for Skills and Knowledge focused on ensuring that young people in the community have pathways to careers in local shipbuilding, an important strategy to ensure that the right skills are in place to make sure that the work gets done and the benefit stays local.