Everyone will have a slice of Plymouth’s “big pie” investment

It's going to be "bonkers" in terms of jobs

City organisations have come together to launch Team Plymouth, outlining plans to capitalise on unprecedented levels of investment in defence which will impact every part of the city, according to leaders.

“It’s going to be a big pie and we want everybody to have a slice,” Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans declared as 100 delegates, including ministers, MPs, military and top civil servants gathered at the Market Hall in Devonport to hear about the city’s collaborative approach to change of the lives of its residents.

Plymouth was recently named as one of five national defence growth areas by the government, earmarked to get a share of £250 million, and the Ministry of Defence is investing £4.4 billion into HM Naval Base Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard. 

The investment is set to underpin Plymouth’s economy for the next seventy years.

Key players of Team Plymouth, which succeeds Growth Alliance Plymouth, includes Babcock International Group, the MOD, Plymouth City Council, the University of Plymouth, City College Plymouth and many others determined to see the ripple effect of regeneration, upgrading of skills and employment opportunities across the city as the total number of jobs is expected to grow by 25,000 over the next ten years.

Breaking down barriers to education and opportunity will be at the forefront of Team Plymouth’s plan.

Alongside the investment in the dockyard is a plan to build 10,000 homes in collaboration with Homes England and the £30 million regeneration of Armada Way, creating a city living experience on a par with Manchester and Liverpool.

Cllr Evans said at the launch: “We have been working for this for a long time. It is so important for the country and the city, every corner of Plymouth is going to benefit.

“We want every kid to know, every parent to know and every grandma and grandad, that there is a place for them in the future, for a very long time, as part of this investment in this city, and there is so many people here today want to make that happen,

“Partnership, working together, making it happen… It’s the Plymouth way.”

He said the city leaders needed to get better at letting people know what was on offer.

He added: “Yes there will be traditional skills needed for the dockyard but there is a new era in defence in Plymouth right across the board, really smart, technical stuff. We need project managers, we need engineers of all colours and textures because the range of opportunities is huge, bigger than we have ever seen before.

“I cannot begin to tell you how bonkers things are going to get around here in terms of jobs.”

Team Plymouth will be spreading the message in primary and secondary school to promote long term careers in STEM subjects, but Cllr Evans said the creative and cultural sector and hospitality would grow as a result of the investment and as Plymouth became a more attractive place to live and work.

“We are talking about decades and decades of work and jobs to come, it’s a new era for Plymouth and I hope that the excitement in this room gets outside as we have got to tell the people of Plymouth about it and they have got to believe it.”

Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard, minister of state for defence, said Plymouth’s time was now and it needed to seize the moment.

As well as playing a leading role in defence, which will come with 5,000 new jobs at Babcock and 2,000 construction jobs, Plymouth was also recently designated as the National Centre for Marine Autonomy which has resulted in an increase in firms wanting to move or set up their business in the city.

“I  am really buzzing,” said the MP. “It’s taken years of work to get Plymouth and the central government aligned and we have managed to achieve that.

“Government is backing our city and so having every one of our major organisations in one city, in one room, coming together, focusing on the housing we need, sorting out our transport, giving our young people new skills, that’s a huge opportunity for us and this is our moment, if we don’t seize it with both hands now it could pass us by.”

Babcock has committed to doubling its apprentice and graduate intake through its commitment to the nuclear skills taskforce.

The number of apprentices has grown from 175 to 241 this year, said John Gane.

“It’s a step up and there will be a step up again next year making sure we have a clear career and pathway through the organisation for our recruits working with City College,” he said. “It’s massively exciting.”