A shortage of skilled workers in Scotland has forced warship builder Babcock to recruit hundreds of welders from the Philippines.
The company has hired 300 Filipinos to work at its yard in Rosyth where is it working on Royal Navy frigates.
It is tipped to secure a £1 billion contract for four frigates for the Danish navy and is in the final round of bidding for seven ships for Sweden.
However, claims that there are insufficient courses in colleges to train Scottish workers in various trades will prompt more criticism of industrial policy at Holyrood.
Concern has risen that Scotland is not providing enough electricians, engineers and mechanics and other trades that the defence companies are now seeking.
A UK government source in London told the media: “At exactly the point at which we should be training the next generation of apprentices in Scotland, we’re seeing real-terms cuts in further education colleges expenditure in Scotland.”
The Scottish government was criticised for obstructing investment in a welding centre backed by Rolls-Royce because of its opposition to armaments, even though the centre and Rolls-Royce had no such connection.
A Babcock spokeswoman said: “While most roles are filled locally, the specialist nature and availability of the skills required to support our build programme means we may need short-term international recruitment to meet delivery timelines.
“This ensures progress on vital defence programmes while we continue to strengthen Scotland’s skilled workforce.”.
On the Babcock situation, a Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are delivering a transformation programme to reform the post-school education and skills system.
“Alongside this reform, we’re taking targeted action to meet urgent skills needs in sectors like offshore wind, social care, engineering, and advanced manufacturing. The latest data from the Scottish Funding Council shows there are currently more than 14,000 full-time equivalent college students on engineering courses.
“Recognising the vital role Scotland’s colleges have in education and the country’s economy, the Scottish Funding Council is providing a 2.6% increase in teaching funding for 2025-26.
“We are also investing in infrastructure. Fife College will be moving into the brand new Dunfermline Learning Campus shortly, which the Scottish Government is supporting with up to £154.5 million capital investment.
“Scotland’s defence sector is a strategic driver of Scotland’s future workforce, supporting high-quality jobs and playing a vital role in driving economic growth across our nation.”
source