Rosyth - Submarine Dismantling

BABCOCK is now recruiting in Rosyth for a programme unlike anything

attempted before in the UK. The dockyard is seeking apprentices to join the
team carrying out the first ever full dismantling of a nuclear-powered
submarine, a “world leading” programme that could sustain skilled
employment at the yard for decades. Engineering firm Babcock International
is advertising a four-year Health Physics Apprenticeship at the Fife site,
with successful candidates working directly on the historic disposal
programme. The job involves monitoring radiation levels, carrying out
safety surveys of work areas and personnel, operating detection equipment
and helping to protect both workers and the surrounding environment
throughout the dismantling process. Applicants will need four National 5s
including English, Maths and a science, plus a driving licence. The
programme starts in September, with applications closing soon. HMS
Swiftsure, a nuclear submarine decommissioned in 1992, is currently being
dismantled at Rosyth as part of a ‘demonstrator’ project. More than 800
tonnes of waste have been removed from the vessel, with around 90 per cent
recycled, including steel earmarked for future Royal Navy submarines. The
fin was removed last June in what the UK Government described as the first
major external cut made on a decommissioned British nuclear submarine. But
the bigger question hanging over Rosyth is what happens next. Six more
nuclear submarines are currently at the dockyard awaiting a decision on
their disposal, with a further 15 stored at Devonport in Plymouth. No
formal decision has been taken on whether Rosyth will take on the remaining
boats. Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie had been pressing the UK
Government for a commitment. He told the Press last December that each
submarine takes between five and 10 years to dispose of.

Dunfermline Press 8th April 2026

https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/26003593.rosyth-apprentices-sought-nuclear-submarine-dismantling/