Borders College was delighted to take a group of Foundation Level 5 Engineering students and lecturers on an educational visit to BAE Systems’ Scotstoun shipyard. The trip offered students a unique opportunity to explore the world of modern naval shipbuilding and gain insight into the skills and processes involved in constructing some of the UK’s most advanced warships.
The day began with a site safety induction, followed by a guided tour led by Jon Vivian-Cooper, Senior Engineering Manager at BAE Systems. The visit was carefully structured to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the shipbuilding process, beginning with a session at the Applied Shipbuilding Academy. There, they learned about the Engineering Lifecycle of a pipe — a concept that would be brought to life throughout the day.
Next, the group visited the Visualisation Suite, where they were introduced to Stage 2 detail design and Stage 3 drawing outputs. They explored the Type 26 3D model and gained an understanding of how digital designs are transformed into detailed drawings for installation onboard ships, reinforcing what they had learned earlier.
The students then headed to the Pipe Shop, where they saw how those technical drawings translate into real-world production. Observing the manufacturing and preparation of pipes used onboard vessels gave them a tangible connection to the engineering concepts they study in class.
The highlight of the visit came at the dry dock, where the group viewed HMS Cardiff undergoing her outfitting process. Seeing a Royal Navy vessel up close served as a powerful reminder of the scale and importance of the work being done — and the potential future careers available to aspiring engineers.
Accompanying the group was Mechanical Engineering lecturer Ross Docherty, who has extensive personal experience working at the Clyde shipyards. Having started his career at Marconi Marine and worked across multiple sites before joining Borders College, Ross was able to offer students both professional insight and a personal perspective on the industry.
Ross shared:
“It was a real step back in time visiting the Scotstoun site with my Mechanical and Electrical engineering students. We were all incredibly impressed by the new Shipbuilding Academy, and very grateful to BAE Systems for giving us this opportunity. The combination of classroom-style learning and hands-on facility tours, delivered by professionals with a variety of skillsets, was invaluable for our students.”
Jon added:
“This visit was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the scale, complexity, and long-term career potential within the naval shipbuilding industry. Throughout the day, the students were engaged, asking questions, and often appeared quite in awe of what we do here.”
