APPRENTICES at the BAE yards are carrying on the family tradition of shipbuilding.

Leanne Macdonald and Morgan McDonald witnessed the steel-cutting ceremony for HMS Birmingham and can look ahead to working on the vessel and the four others to follow over the next decade.

Leanne, a third-year sheet metal worker, is working on getting ships ready to move to Scotstoun for fitting out.

She said her dad Jim is a shipwright with BAE.

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Morgan McDonald is a first-year ancillary apprentice.

She said she is working on fitting out ships with cabins at Scotstoun once they leave Govan, and getting them ready to be handed over to the Royal Navy.

She said her grandpa, dad and uncle have all worked at the yard.

Her grandpa is in management and her dad was an electrician.

Securing the yards for future generations is key to BAE’s success said the boss at the yards.

Simon Lister, managing director of BAE Naval Ships business, said: “The future of the yards is very much a twinned facility.

“There are no dry docks here, there are dry docks in Scotstoun for the outfitting and finishing.

"We’re also building the academy there and we’ve got several important workshops there.

“Both yards have a long-term future.

“We’re talking 4000 jobs underpinned by this order for the next 10 to 15 years depending on the trades you’re involved in.

"It’s a very serious commitment from the Government into the yard, into the order.

“The majority, over 3800, are here in Glasgow.”