Shipbuilding case study
In these case studies, read about Malcolm McDonald and Danny Chrystal's careers in shipbuilding.
Find out more about shipbuilding here.
Case study 1
Sector: Shipbuilding
Name of company: BAE Systems (Surface Fleet Solutions)
Work area based: Glasgow
Individual name: Malcolm McDonald
Age: 38
Job title: Commissioning Engineer
Home area: Port Glasgow
School/college/university: Port Glasgow High School then James Watt College and Glasgow College of Nautical Studies
Career path
• Left School Aged 17, with 3 ‘O’ Levels & 1 SVQ Module in Computing
• Attended college while serving 4 years as an Apprentice Electrician, working for x2 Local Contracting Companies before Qualifying as an Approved electrician, gaining another 32 SVQ Modules in the process
• When made redundant due to a seasonal construction industry quiet period, and after spending nearly a year unemployed, went to work for IBM UK, building PCs for 18 months
• At the end of my 18 month contract, saw an advert for BAE’s predecessor GEC-Marconi, & went to work in Glasgow as an electrician fitting out ships, where I’ve now worked for over 14 years
What are the key skills used in your job?
• The ability to understand & read technical schematic drawings
• Practical Electrical & Engineering skills & practices (hands on!)
• Use & understanding of company policies, processes & procedures relating to everything from the operation of equipment such as Radars, to the Health & Safety of myself & others whom I work with
• The ability to work on my own initiative for certain tasks, while being capable of being part of a team
What are the biggest challenges in your job?
Meeting timescales /deadlines, as delays can have major knock-on effects to other tasks.
Being able to communicate with others from different departments and at different levels/grades, outside of my recognised peer group/department, so that we work together to get the job done.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
A unique environment, with the opportunity to see how technology functions and operates, while having the ability to see a product being engineered from a 2D drawing/idea into something that will help defend our country.
What advice would you give to others interested in this type of work?
Focus on Engineering, especially the more hands-on skills, as they are in greater demand. Be prepared to be flexible and learn new skill sets out with your comfort zone, while remembering that large companies often need large numbers of the same skill set/trade, covering everything from cleaning, office administration through to project management. Additionally, never refuse to take on additional education/training as part of your job. You never know when it might get you a better role/better pay!
A day in the life of a Commissioning Engineer
I leave home at 6:30 am to get to work for 7:15am. I log into the company computer network and check e-mails/print off paperwork or drawing, then discuss with my manager and work colleagues the work load and plans for that day.
I then head onto the ship to conduct electrical/mechanical testing of a wide range of equipment covering most things that you might find in a factory, an airport, a fuel filling station, a hotel, or even your own home. These might be anything from sewage treatment plants or air conditioning systems, through to a Radar/communications system, or even a naval gun.
In between times, this usually also involves attending various meetings to discuss the progress or any problems with a particular system, to presenting a finished system to a 3rd party for inspection, prior to handover to the Navy.
The standard working day normally finishes at 4pm, but there’s the odd occasion where you might have to work a bit of overtime. There’s also the added bonus of leaving at lunchtimes on Fridays!
Case study 2
Sector: Shipbuilding
Name of company: BAE Systems (Surface Fleet Solutions)
Work area based: Glasgow
Individual name: Danny Chrystal
Age: 56
Job title: Electrical Commissioning Engineer
Home area: Glasgow
School/college/university: St Gerard’s, James Watt College, Portsmouth Polytechnic, HMS Collingwood Electrical School & HMS Sultan Mechanical School
Career path
After leaving school in 1967 I joined the Merchant Navy and served on ship for 18 months as Galley Boy then Second Cook for the crew of 20.
I left the Merchant Navy and worked for Carse and Holmes, Tunnel St, Broomielaw, as an apprentice boat builder until my time was finished in 1972. As was the custom in those days a new journeyman was paid off and told to get more experience in his trade, then come back and pass on the new skills that he had learned from the other companies he worked for.
I joined the Royal Navy in June 1973 and after the initial tests was offered to train as ships electrician and attended the Military Electrical & Mechanical schools in Fareham/Gosport, Hants for a year to learn the basics of electrical engineering. I then went on a ship for 30 months for on-the-job training then back to school for a year and so on until I had spent a total of 3 years at the school and achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer Elect/Mech. I retired from the Royal Navy in June 1995 after serving 22 years and have worked in shipbuilding ever since, firstly with Kvaerner and now BAE.
What are the key skills used in your job?
• Knowledge of ships systems is a must, and how the ship operates
• Being able to explain to others how the job has to be completed safely and professionally
• Man management and the ability to plan ahead, listen to and understand other people’s ideas
• The ability to work on your own, safely and unsupervised or as part of a commissioning team
What are the biggest challenges in your job?
Being sent to do a job and when you get there it is not ready for commissioning. You then have to hang around, sometimes for days, to finish a simple task.
The weather in winter can be really bad if you are working on an upper deck job, rain, snow and wind all affect the way you carry out your job.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Meeting the people who will eventually run the ship and instructing them on how to operate the systems.
Getting a ‘thank you’ from the owners of a ship that you have personally helped to commission.
Learning new concepts of electrical commissioning and the new design and technology in modern warships.
What advice would you give to others interested in this type of work?
Get a mechanical or electrical apprenticeship and aim to join the works’ commissioning team.
Prove to your supervisors that you have a ‘can do’ attitude: no job too small or big, you can do it safely and professionally on time and within the budget.
A day in the life of an Electrical Commissioning Engineer
I arrive in the office, logon and check emails for any overnight defects on ship and prepare the next work orders. I print test sheets for jobs and read and understand them. I then issue the test sheets and board ship, start checking that it is safe to start engines or generators, get safety sheet signed and start the machinery. We test all systems using the test forms provided, record all test results for examination later to ensure all systems are working correctly and safely. I assist in other test procedures as required (you may be used as safety personnel or as communication link depending on the size of the job).
When all testing is complete, I shut down all machinery in a safe and controlled manner and return to the office to examine the test results. If I’m happy with the results and they are in tolerance, I enter them into the test form. The test form is then sent to the authorising group Ministry of Defence and Lloyds Ship insurers and either rejected or accepted depending on the test results. Once accepted the test form then is sent to the archives and is classed as the master test form for that system. Completing the test form and getting the correct results are paramount in shipbuilding/testing.
Teacher placement
Would you like to find out more about these companies or this industry? A teacher placement is a great way to do this. To find out more about the national Excellence in Education through Business Links placement programme visit Careers Scotland.
