Major investment to create 150 new jobs in Scotland's aerospace sector over five years

More than 100 new jobs in Scotland’s aerospace sector will be created thanks to a £57m investment in a Scottish company.

General Electric (GE) Aerospace is investing £30m to expend its Prestwick Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) site, which will be supported by £27m from the Ayrshire Growth Deal.

A further £6m from Scottish Enterprise has also been allowed for in the near future.

GE Aerospace maintains and supplies approximately 50,000 commercial and 30,000 military aircraft engines, with a global workforce of about 57,000 people.

The funds will not only create 150 new jobs, but will also see the creation of a new 55,000 square foot building for operations.

The workers will be hired over the course of the coming five years, improving operations and the overall output of the business.

At an event attended by members of the media at the facility in South Ayrshire on Monday, Melanie Ward, UK Government minister for Scotland, told the Pres Association: “It’s really good news for the local are and for Scotland as a whole.

“There was a time when the future of Prestwick wasn’t that sure, but I’m really glad now that with UK Government support we’ve turned that around.

“We had another announcement of UK Government support earlier this year, an expansion of Ryan Air’s operations here at Prestwick as well and now, with this announcement from GE Aerospace, it means that Prestwick has got a really good, strong, and bright future.

“I was hearing from some of the GE Aerospace representatives from the US earlier today, and they were saying just how much Scotland is a world leader in this and how important our role in it is.

“But also, your (audience) will have heard Prime Minister Andy Burnham talking about our drive, our mission to reindustrialise the UK, and also to bring good growth to every postcode. And this UK Government investment here in Prestwick today is a great example of that.”

Jenny Gilruth, deputy first minister, said: “Today is hugely exciting. We’ve got the Scottish Government and the UK Government coming together along with the local authority to confirm record funding through the Ayrshire growth deal.”

She added: “The Scottish and UK Governments have been working together over a number of years to do growth deals all over the country, and the Ayrshire growth deal, of course, is really starting to come to fruition now in terms of that partnership approach to funding.

“And it’s great to see the impact that partnership approach has been able to deliver in terms of the jobs in the local economy, which we know are needed.

“But the important part about these jobs is that they are skilled, well-paid jobs and, of course, it’s been great, to hear from some of the young people and their journey through their education into working for the company, and then their opportunities that the company is able to provide them with, whether that be through funding to support further training, study, or even learning on the job through apprenticeships and, of course, through further degree study.

“Prestwick is hugely known in terms of expertise in aerospace and obviously today’s announcement really goes some way to help confirm that well-known understanding around about the reputation, so we hope very much that the investment today marks that opportunity to once again put Prestwick on the map (as) a centre for expertise for the development of support in this industry.”

The jobs created will include machine operator roles, as well as aerospace mechanic and engineers.

Andy Prow, site leader for GA Aerospace Prestwick, said: “This investment really allows us to accelerate our transformation plans.

“These plans are based on the demands of our customers.”

And he added: “It’s also demanding us to get engines back through back onto wings, and that’s really what our transformation plans are about.”