Chief executive of VT Group Paul Lester has said he is confident that the long-awaited Royal Navy aircraft carrier deal is “imminent”.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had expected to award the £4 billion contract last year but was forced to delay due to budget issues, causing VT to have to put its new apprentice programme on hold.
The company is now awaiting confirmation of the contract, preferably “something in writing”, before it finalises a planned joint venture with BAE Systems – a move that has been under discussion for the past year – and begins recruiting the apprentices.
According to Lester, the contract will safeguard up to 10,000 jobs in the British maritime industry when it comes to fruition, and “will provide longevity in an industry that has always had peaks and troughs.”
