Navantia UK has started a recruitment campaign for 28 skilled positions at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast, adding capacity to deliver major naval shipbuilding programmes.

The company is hiring 21 welders, five platers and two pipefitters to support construction of three new Fleet Solid Support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The push is part of Navantia UK's long-term plan for Belfast, where more than £98.5 million is being invested in upgraded facilities, advanced manufacturing technologies and new equipment.

Upgrades include a mechanised panel line, robotic cutting equipment and an expanded fabrication hall, helping to position Harland & Wolff among Europe's leading centres for advanced shipbuilding.

Belfast is the principal delivery yard for the Fleet Solid Support programme. The three 39,000-tonne vessels will be the largest produced there in a generation and will provide vital support to Royal Navy operations worldwide.

Navantia UK is also planning for growth beyond 2027, aiming to create a sustainable pipeline of work and rebuild the skills and industrial capacity needed to deliver future UK and allied shipbuilding programmes.

As part of this, the company intends to increase the Belfast workforce to around 1,500, investing in both experienced tradespeople and the next generation of talent.

A further 66 apprentices will join the shipyard in September, taking the total number in training at the site to more than 120 across a range of disciplines, working alongside experienced colleagues on live shipbuilding projects. Carlos Lopez Carregado, General Manager at Harland & Wolff, said: "The Fleet Solid Support programme is bringing major shipbuilding back to Belfast and creating an opportunity for local tradespeople to help deliver vessels of genuine national importance.

"The ships will be the largest delivered from this yard in a generation, supported by £98.5 million of investment in modern facilities, equipment and technology.

"But our ambitions extend well beyond the current programme. We are building a shipyard, workforce and skills base capable of securing and delivering work, with plans to grow the Belfast workforce to 1,500 people.

"We want skilled welders, platers and pipefitters to join the team that will turn this investment into ships and help establish Belfast as one of Europe's leading centres for advanced shipbuilding."

Katherine Thorn, Head of Talent and Culture at Navantia UK, said: "This is an exciting time to join Navantia UK. We are creating skilled, long-term careers for experienced tradespeople while investing in the next generation of Belfast's shipbuilding workforce.

"The 66 apprentices joining us in September will take our apprentice population in Belfast to more than 120, demonstrating the scale of our commitment to developing local talent.

"Together with our current recruitment campaign and plans to grow the workforce to 1,500 people, this will ensure that Belfast has the skills and capability needed to deliver major shipbuilding programmes for many years to come."

Details of the available roles and how to apply can be found at navantia.co.uk/careers/.