Jobs joy at Vickers as BAE Systems secure £300m defence deal

Mar 27 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

HUNDREDS of North East jobs will be safeguarded after BAE Systems won a £300m Government contract.

The deal was last night hailed as a vote of confidence in the region’s engineering skills.

Engineers on Tyneside will build the army’s latest armoured digger for use in some of the world’s most dangerous conflicts.

The 60 Terrier vehicles will help troops remove obstacles and clear routes.

Workers at the Vickers site in Newcastle have been expecting the announcement after years spent preparing the diggers and working on similar vehicles. No new jobs are expected to be created, but BAE said the contract would help secure many jobs both at the site and further down the supply chain during the recession.

But workers at the factory will still have to wait on further Government announcements regarding future vehicle production before knowing for sure how safe many of the Vickers jobs are.

Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland last night welcomed the news.

He said: “This is excellent news, it is a big order. It is good news for both the North East and BAE systems on Scotswood Road. It secures employment for the future and will be a big boost for the apprenticeship scheme.

“I’ll be seeing them when the minister arrives and discussing what other support can be offered in the future.

“It is a vote of confidence in our engineering skills in the region.