Jason Tregenza, aged 37, and 22-year-old Kyle Head, both from Falmouth, have been learning their trade in the company’s pipe work department for the past three years.

Jason, a former taxi driver, said: “I’ve never been a skilled worker – until now. To think that the company has invested in my future makes me feel very proud. We’re both local lads with local jobs and I’m over the moon to be here at A&P.”

Kyle said: “Everyone knows how difficult it can be for young people to find work these says, so to have a secure job, with full training and future prospects is a dream come true. I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity.”

A&P Falmouth has invested heavily in training and apprenticeships since 1989 and 120 apprentices have been recruited in four main trade disciplines – marine engineering, electrical, steel fabrication/welding and pipe fabrication/fitting.

In 2007, the company embarked on its first adult training programme with two riggers. Since then a total of 33 adult trainees have undertaken in-house training programmes to help maintain the skill base in the company. Fifteen of these completed training in engineering, steel and pipe fabrication, rigging and skilled painting, and are now established members of the company’s workforce.

A further 13 employees are still in training – including five engineers, under the watchful eye of former engineering area manager Keith Hawke, who has notched up almost 50 years of service with the company; four electricians, two riggers and two in the port operations department.

More than 40 of A&P Falmouth’s current employees are over 60 years old, and the company is fully committed to building on the marine skill base that has been honed over 150 years of ship repair at Falmouth Docks.

Plumbing supervisor Dennis McGinn is one of the company’s longest continuous serving employees, and a former apprentice, who started at the docks in 1963. He said: “I know from my own experience Jason and Kyle have been very lucky to have been given this opportunity. They’ve done a brilliant job and my advice to them would be to apply themselves and never become complacent. I’ve been here 48-and-a-half years and I still haven’t stopped learning yet.”

Managing director Peter Child said: “Empowering our workforce has always been a priority for us and we are proud of our training programmes. We strongly believe that investing in sustainable, highly skilled jobs is the future for our dockyard and would like to offer our congratulations and thanks to Jason and Kyle for all their hard work and commitment.”

The team at the docks is now preparing for the arrival of the RFA Lyme Bay, which is due to arrive this summer and will become the fifth ship to have a major refit within the Cluster contract at Falmouth. Major refits on the RFA Argus,  RFA Mounts Bay and RFA Largs Bay were completed in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.

The grey ships, which have become a familiar part of the Falmouth skyline over the past four years, are in the docks as part of the Cluster Support Programme – a contract between A&P Group and the MoD to provide worldwide support to the ships.

The partnership has led to a more economical approach to ship repair and maintenance throughout the RFA flotilla, through advanced planning, knowledge of the vessels, continuous improvements in working practices, the reliable quality of work and availability of the docks.

It is estimated to deliver millions of pounds of savings to the MOD over 30 years on the previous arrangements, which saw individual contracts competed for as and when they were required, and has already been praised in Parliament.

Gerald Pitts, A&P’s Cluster Director, said: “I am delighted to say the RFA Cardigan Bay has been another successful project and we included further improvements and efficiencies identified during the previous two refits.

“The Cluster contract has been running for nearly four years and we are currently working with the MoD to compile evidence proving it has delivered value for money. We hope this will secure the option available to extend the contract through to June 2018, continuing to provide the support, maintenance and availability of the vessels.”

The RFA Cardigan Bay and Mounts Bay, both amphibious landing ships, and the RFA Argus, an aviation training ship, are all currently in Falmouth. It is the first time three RFA ships have been in the port at the same time since being awarded the Cluster contract in 2008.

The Cardigan Bay will be sailing from Falmouth shortly following a major refit and communication upgrade. The refit, which takes place every five years, included the installation of a complete new exhaust system and a major overhaul of its main engines, propulsion and electrical systems. Work took four months and was completed in January.

Since January the vessel stayed at A&P, where she received a communication upgrade prior to being deployed, where she will be relieving the RFA Lyme Bay, which will return to Falmouth later this year for her own five-year major refit.

The RFA Mounts Bay has been at the docks for the duration of March for annual maintenance, including the main engine, electrics, lifeboats and life saving equipment. She will now be resuming operational duties around the UK in readiness for her role as the Olympic guard ship this summer, where she will be based in Portland.

The RFA Argus, which was used as a film location for the Brad Pitt zombie movie World War Z when she was last in Falmouth, has just arrived back at the docks for three weeks of maintenance work and defect rectification. This will involve the main engine, auxiliary systems and painting, prior to deployment overseas.

In October 2011, the RFA Largs Bay was formally handed over to the Australian Department of Defence, which bought the ship after she was decommissioned, following a multi-million pound refit at A&P Falmouth. She has since been renamed HMAS Choules.

Since August 2010, A&P Falmouth has become a one stop shop for the four RFA vessels with its spares supply service. It provides all the in-service spares and logistics to ensure the vessels and their land based stores are kept fully stocked to keep them operational.

Peter Child, Managing Director of A&P Falmouth, said: “The Ministry of Defence has strong ties with Falmouth and we are delighted to celebrate the continuing success of the partnership between A&P Falmouth and the RFA and to showcase what has been achieved.

“The contract helps provide the A&P Falmouth  – and it’s highly skilled employees – with vital security for the future. We provide excellent value for money, as we have proved previously with the RFA Mounts Bay and Largs Bay and we look forward to continuing in the next 12 months with planned refits on RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus in 2013.

“We have a worldwide reputation for excellence and efficiency and continue to develop our resources and invest in our skills base.”

The Hebburn yard, which suffered a disappointing end to 2011 with the unexpected loss of an aircraft carrier contract, has bounced back and is now bustling with activity as work progresses on five vessels.

Two newly-built subsea construction vessels, chartered by Reef Subsea, are alongside Bede Quay undergoing work which includes changes to the exhaust systems and accommodation areas.

The vessels were built in China but arrived at A&P at the end of last month for enhancements which will enable them to better meet the needs of the oil, gas and renewables industries.

A&P Tyne Projects Director Darren Brown said: “In addition to the exhaust system changes, we are upgrading the accommodation, increasing the number of cabins and shower facilities and supporting the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) team in rebuilding the ROV control centre.

“It’s a valuable order, lasting 8-9 weeks and the vessels are due to go out on sea trials at the end of this month.”

The yard also welcomed the recent arrival of the offshore support vessel Normand Oceanic, part of a large fleet operated by Subsea 7, one of the world’s leading subsea engineering and construction companies.

A&P Tyne successfully fulfilled four important orders for Subsea 7 last year and is delighted to secure repeat custom.

The 156.9 metre long Normand Oceanic is due to undergo electrical work for ROV installation, the installation of new cabling and modifications to bulwarks.

Mr Brown added: “It’s scheduled to take 17 days and it’s quite intense, it will be round-the-clock, there’s a lot of equipment to be installed. It’s great to have her in the yard, it’s a big order and this sort of work is our “bread and butter”

“It’s wonderful to see the yard busy again, we have over 200 people working here plus 150 sub-contractors, so it’s a hive of activity.”

Two vessels – the offshore support ship Highland Prestige and the Ugland UR141 barge from Norway – are currently in dry dock undergoing general maintenance work and overhauls, lasting between 7-10 days.

Mr Brown said: “It’s traditional, dry dock programme work, all of which is very welcome, it keeps business going and people employed.”

In addition to ship repairs, the yard’s steelwork facility is working on several fabrication projects, including a big order for Sparrow Baricon, re-building an existing carousel together with a new lay tower for their client Technip Offshore Wind Ltd, scheduled to take four months to complete.

The yard has been extremely successful in recent times, completing a major section of the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth six weeks ahead of schedule last summer, but it suffered a blow last November when BAE Systems decided to reclaim some carrier work it originally intended to sub-contract to A&P.

Mr Brown added: “We are dealing with some big companies, such as Subsea 7, and we are now becoming the yard of choice in many instances. It’s not always just down to price, it’s quality and schedule and a major factor is safety – and we have an exceptional safety record.”

A&P Tyne Managing Director Stewart Boak said: “Following a relatively quiet time at the end of 2011, it’s pleasing to now feel a buzz about the yard.

“The increase in contracts creates an excellent opportunity for A&P to demonstrate that we can deliver high-quality, on-time, cost effective product to our customers.

“We are now working extremely hard to secure new contracts for the second half of the year to maintain the momentum we have generated this year to date.”

Falmouth, Jamaica and Falmouth, Cornwall have entered into a sister port relationship to promote good will and friendship with each other. The agreement was formally signed at the cruise industry’s largest trade show, Cruise Shipping Miami, last week.

The ports of Falmouth, which have historical links and many similarities, hope the agreement will encourage greater economic benefits – even though they are thousands of miles apart.

Falmouth, Jamaica was founded in 1769 and is considered one of the Caribbean’s best-preserved towns from the Georgian era. It was named after Falmouth, Cornwall, the birthplace of Sir William Trelawny, the Governor of Jamaica, who was instrumental in its establishment.

Following a $220 million development, Falmouth, Jamaica, is one of the Caribbean’s premier cruise destinations. Falmouth, Cornwall, reputed to be the third largest natural harbour in the world, is an increasingly popular stop for cruises, with 34 cruises and around 22,000 passengers calling at the port in 2012.

Following the signing of the document in Miami, the agreement was carried back to Falmouth, Cornwall for signature by Falmouth Harbour Commissioners – following the old Packet ships tradition, which for 150 years was the only means of transporting mail in and out of Britain. By the early 1700s Packet ships were sailing regularly to Jamaica.

Mike Reynolds, A&P Falmouth’s Port Operations Director, said: “We are proud to be able to highlight the fantastic ongoing relationship and historical links we have with our namesake in Jamaica.

“Falmouth has been able to develop a marvelous cruise destination, which can accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships and is now paying dividends in terms of the wider local economy. This is something we would love to be able to emulate, albeit on a much smaller scale, in Falmouth, Cornwall, and who knows, perhaps one day we will be promoting a cruise from Falmouth to Falmouth.”

William Tatham, of the Port of Jamaica Falmouth, said: “We were delighted to show Prince Harry around our historic port of Falmouth and he was keen to learn about the economic impact the development has had. I was also able to tell him about the sistering of the ports, which he thought was a good idea.”

Sister porting is common in the marine industry and provides opportunities to share expertise and knowledge on all aspects of port operation. It is hoped the agreement between the ports of Falmouth will benefit both sides in terms of meaningful partnerships, cultural understanding, strengthened economic development, new ideas and business contacts.

David Ellis, Chairman of Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, said: “We welcome this wonderful opportunity to build on our relationship with our friends in Jamaica, recognising the similarities between the two ports and the benefit the international links will bring.”

And those interested in the engineering of such enormous vessels will be able to watch the work for themselves, as the refit of the 180 metre long Pride of Bruges is being filmed for a new TV series.

A crew from Lion TV – which produces Horrible Histories – was allowed into the yard to shoot the large-scale maintenance work needed each winter to enable the North Sea and Channel ferries to safely transport cars, freight and passengers overseas.

The series, with the working title “Inside the Machine”, is due to go out on BBC2 later this year.

Director Chris Mitchell said: “It’s a series of three one-hour long programmes looking at machines and how they work by getting inside them and taking them apart.

“We’re featuring a British Airways jumbo jet, a P&O ferry and an oil and gas rig.

“Most people have been on a ferry, most people have been on a plane but they don’t know what makes them work, they take them for granted. We’re talking about engineering and technology in a way the public can understand.

“There’s some substantial work going on at A&P involving propellers and the big end of the engine. We’ll be climbing inside the bowels of the ship, finding out how everything works and exploring parts in detail.”

The Hebburn yard has been busy since mid-January with a three ship deal with P&O to refit the cross-channel ferry the Pride of Canterbury and North Sea ferries, the Pride of York and the Pride of Bruges, which is the biggest project with a large quantity of steel renewal work required.

The work undertaken involved overhauls of sea valves, propulsion machinery, general essential underwater maintenance work, preparation and painting.

The Pride of Bruges, which can carry 850 cars, is due to leave the yard on March 10.

Sales & marketing manager at A&P Tyne, Martin Robertson, said: “It’s exciting to have the film crew here during the Pride of Bruges project. They’ll be looking at what it takes to keep the ferries in top condition and they’ll see the dedication of the workforce here to make that happen.

“A&P Tyne has been welcoming P&O Ferries to the yard for many years and as a result we have an intimate knowledge of them.

“It’s great to see the vessels coming into the yard, they’re so familiar to people – especially those of us who are used to travelling on them.”

A&P Tyne has the largest dry dock on England’s east coast and filming included the ferry being secured with large oak blocks while the A&P workforce, dwarfed by the 6748 deadweight tonne vessel, moved swiftly to repair the damage done by months at sea.

P&O spokesman Brian Rees added: “The filming gives a great opportunity to show what is it is easy to take for granted – the technical skill and experience that is vital for companies like A&P and P&O.

“There isn’t much glamour in a shipyard or ship’s engine room and it isn’t easy to convey the intricacies of some of what is going on to people with no technical background.

“Hopefully this series will fly the flag for those people the customer doesn’t get to see – those who keep the show on the road.”

Replicas of parts of two warships – Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers – are being mocked up by A&P Falmouth and will be installed at HMS Raleigh as part of a new training facility to teach sailors how to safely transfer vital supplies from ship to ship while at sea.

The 170 tonne steel ship structures will be transported to HMS Raleigh, in Torpoint, once complete – which will be a logistical challenge in itself. The huge replicas will be broken down into smaller parts, transported by road, and reassembled at HMS Raleigh.

The five-month project, which is due to be completed in January 2012, has kept 25 of the internationally renowned ship repair company’s highly skilled steelworkers busy since it began in August.
HMS Raleigh, in Torpoint, is the Royal Navy’s premier training establishment in the South West where all recruits receive the first part of their naval training. The MoD has a contract with Rolls-Royce to develop a new range of replenishment at sea (RAS) equipment and build the new training training facility. RAS is a method of transferring fuel, munitions and general stores from one ship to another and takes place during the day or night and in all weathers.
Rolls Royce has subcontracted the construction of the steel replicas to A&P Falmouth.

Peter Child, Managing Director of A&P Falmouth, said: “We have been working with Rolls-Royce since the start of the service contract for the RFA Argus in 2006.

“This has evolved into a cluster contract, a 30-year contract between A&P and the MoD where we provide upkeep support to some of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. The success and longevity of our relationship with Rolls-Royce is one which we are extremely proud of.”

David McConnell, Director of Naval Programmes for Rolls Royce, said: “Replenishment-at-sea is a vital part of modern naval operations and we are pioneering an innovative system that will deliver world-leading capability for the Royal Navy. The A&P team has made significant progress on the fabrication of the replica ship structures, which are designed to make the training as realistic as possible.

The 30,000 tonne ship arrived in the port in the early hours of Sunday for unscheduled repairs in dry dock at A&P. She docked at 2.30am and work began at 6am, as soon as the dock was dry. To assist this, A&P managed to re-shuffle other vessels in the docks, with the approval of their owners, to accommodate Adonia.

With just four days allowed to complete the essential maintenance before Adonia begins an 87-night world cruise on Friday (13), it was all hands on deck at the busy yard.

Peter Child, Managing Director of A&P Falmouth, said: “We gave a major commitment to complete the work within the four day window, and we have delivered to ensure this happened. We are delighted to say the work was finished ahead of schedule, and Adonia will undock this evening and sail for Southampton a day ahead of schedule.

“This is partly because we have had around 60 of our highly skilled staff working on the job 24/7, and partly because we worked extremely closely with P&O and Adonia’s crew, who were a credit to the ship. Everybody involved will be pleased to see the ship sail out of Falmouth early and we hope to be seeing P&O Cruises as returning customers in future.”

Adonia will leave Falmouth this evening en route for Southampton, where she will pick up passengers to start the cruise.

Mr Child said: “A&P prides itself on being able to react quickly and work flexibly, making space for customers with urgent needs wherever possible, and we are delighted to have been able to do that for Adonia.”

Adonia, which can carry up to 710 passengers, has been highly visible on the Falmouth skyline and crowds have gathered above the docks over the past few days to get a good view of her.

The lads rose to the challenge and swapped their routine skills of fitting, electricals and fabrication for picture editing, selling adverts and publishing.

They assembled a top-class calendar which they distributed to thousands of homes and businesses around the Hebburn yard AND raised £2000 for the children’s hospice Grace House, currently being built in Southwick, Sunderland.

The apprentices – Martin Laffey, 24, Lewis Burns, 18, Andy Todd and Danny Totton, both 21 – gave the charity a great start to the year by handing Grace House representative Richard Harris a cheque for the proceeds.

The calendar shows striking images of past projects at the yard, such as the conversion of former warship HMS Bristol into a Royal Navy training vessel and building part of the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The group of apprentices also used their selling skills to find 12 companies from the yard’s sub-contractors and suppliers to sponsor each month of the year.

Martin, from Hebburn, who won the North East award last year for Outstanding Achievement for a First Year Apprentice, said: “It was like being on the TV show The Apprentice – it was a bit daunting to ring companies to ask for sponsorship and it tested your communication skills.

“We had to sort through hundreds of pictures and it was really hard to whittle them down to 12 because they were all good. The calendars were printed and delivered just before Christmas then we split into two teams and distributed them all ourselves to local homes and businesses.

“It’s good to be able to give something back to the community and help the Grace House Appeal too.”

Danny, from South Shields, who’s in the final year of his welding and fabrication apprenticeship, added: “The project took five weeks from start to finish.

“It was very different to our normal work, I’m used to working on the ships and instead we were in an office on the phone.

“I really enjoyed it and I’m pleased with the result. We’ve had good feedback on the calendar and people who have received it say it looks great, they can’t believe that we’ve done it.

“It was a real joint effort. It took five days to deliver all 2000 calendars, we were putting them through letterboxes from 9am to 3pm and we really hope people like it.”

In the calendar, Managing Director Stewart Boak praises the yard’s “generous workforce” for having raised an additional £2868 in the last seven months of 2011 through payroll donation, where everyone gives part of their monthly wage packet to Grace House, described as “a home from home for children with life-threatening conditions.”

He added: “It’s important we communicate with our neighbours and involve them in what A&P are doing. We thought it would be a good idea to involve our apprentices and they did an excellent job in pulling the whole thing together and distributing 2000 calendars to local homes and businesses just before Christmas.

“It’s been very well received so we plan to do it again and our challenge is to improve on it in future years.”

Kathy Secker, founder of the Grace House Appeal, offered “a huge thank you” to A&P Tyne and said the building of Grace House was on target for completion in the summer.

She added: “We need to fund a very extensive and specialist equipment list and this wonderful donation from the apprentices at A&P Tyne will go towards the cost of installing specialist ceiling hoists.”

The Tees yard has funded the publication of a book recording the yard’s illustrious history, starting in 1908 as Smith’s Dock, right up to date under the ownership of the A&P Group.

Local author Wilf Austin spent the first six years of his working life at
Smith’s Dock, South Bank in the 1960s and remembers them with pride and
affection. Once retired, he wrote “A Shipyard Centennial” to ensure the amazing
achievements of this relatively small yard wouldn’t be forgotten.

He personally financed a limited edition of 100 earlier this year and it proved
so popular it sold out within a fortnight.

When A&P Tees heard of Wilf’s work they bought ten copies to gift to some of
their clients – including Cemex Marine, Hanson Aggregate, Global Marine and
Gulf Offshore – and were amazed at the feedback.

A&P Tees Commercial Director Ian Douglas said: “We had no idea there was so
much interest in the yard from throughout the area and the marine industry. We
had lots of requests for copies but were unable to help as it sold out so
quickly.

“We loved the book, it really captured the spirit of the yard, and we thought
it deserved our support. Publishing is an expensive business so we offered to
pay for a second extended edition of 500 copies, charting the yard’s progress
right up to date.”

The new edition, which is 50% bigger than the first, goes on sale this week at
Waterstones in Middlesbrough, The Guisborough Book Shop and Atkinsons Print in Hartlepool.

Wilf was overwhelmed by the interest in Teesside yard, which built over 900
vessels for customers worldwide, ranging from whalers to warships, and won
affection and loyalty from its workforce and its clients.

He said: “Copies went all over the world, from New York to Norway, but demand
outstripped supply which, unfortunately, left a lot of people disappointed.

“I was elated when A&P Tees said they would like to sponsor a second edition.
It is much bigger and includes a new chapter on apprenticeships, something A&P
is very keen on.

“It’s marvellous really, this is a story about a shipyard that did wonderful
things and here we are, more than 100 years later, and it’s still doing
wonderful things. Those docks, which were built for the growing marine business
on the Tees, are still being used today.

“A&P Tees don’t build ships but they maintain, repair and convert vessels and
the skills are still the same, they’re being kept alive, which is crucial.

“The yard has said it would like to donate a copy to each of the sixth-form
colleges and academies on Teesside, so that a small part of the story of the
River Tees is preserved. I think that’s a brilliant idea.

“Shipping is still a big business in the UK and something young people should
really get switched onto because there are lots of opportunities career-wise.”

Young workers at the South Bank ship repair yard needed the perfect Santa to spearhead a fundraising Christmas Fayre they are staging on Sunday, December 4, at Stewart Park in Middlesbrough.

So they approached the 59-year-old docking manager because they thought he “was the closest guy in the yard to match Santa’s description.”

Project engineer Sally Weston, 23, who’s helping organise the Fayre, said: “I don’t know how pleased he was about that but luckily for us he accepted!

“He was our unanimous choice when we had to pick the person who most resembled Santa.
“We weren’t thinking of his physique, it was more his cheery presence . Chris is always laughing and smiling around the yard and he seemed right at home in the suit!”
Chris, who’s worked for A&P for nearly 30 years, said: “At first, I didn’t know whether to take it as a compliment or not but I said I’d do it.

“It’s not a part I’ve played before, not even for my own kids, so I may need a bit of practise but now I’ve got over the shock I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Christmas Fayre, which runs from 11am to 4pm with free entrance, is the first of many events that an eight-strong A&P Tees team are holding over the next four months.

Sally, the team leader, said: “We’re competing in the Zero 2 Hero fundraising campaign for the Prince’s Trust, which helps disadvantaged young people return to education or find employment.

“The aim of the competition is to turn £500 into £5000 over the next four months.

“It’s a daunting prospect but we’ve got lots of ideas and quite a few events lined up, starting with the Christmas Fayre.”

The team tasked with delivering a giant profit for the Prince’s Trust are all aged between 18-28 and had to pass a “Dragon’s Den” style grilling to ensure they were worthy contenders for the charity’s £500 “investment” in them.

The Christmas Fayre will feature arts and crafts stalls, food stalls, pony rides, a Santa’s Dash charity run and, of course, Santa’s Grotto, where Chris will swap his hard hat and hi-visibility jacket for a big, white beard and bright red costume.