Sat, Oct 08, 2011
Cites Falling Military And Export Orders
AgustaWestland says it is planning to cut 375 jobs in the UK
because of a decline in military and export revenues.
AW169 Artist's Rendering
In a statement, AW said the job cuts will be primarily in
management and corporate departments at the the Yeovil and
Farnborough locations. The Yeovil Express reports that the
Yeovil facility employs about 3,600 people.
"Revenues from the Ministry of Defence are declining and
shifting towards longer term support solutions, while export orders
that have slipped in the near term are projected to grow over
time," the statement read. "Additionally, as a result of the recent
agreement with the UK Government, the business will grow a
significant civil helicopter capability.
"The proposed rationalization is intended to ensure that the
company has an effective operating structure, can continue to
retain the best skills in the industry, while improving its
competitive position by rebalancing the workload to include civil
activities."
The paper reports that AgustaWestland managing director Ray
Edwards said an increase in civilian helicopter orders in the UK,
as well as the launch of the AW169, will "place our UK operation on
a strong footing" and help the company keep the skilled workforce
that it has in place. He said while the military revenue is
declining, it remains "central" to the company's success. He also
said that increased civil production and export programs, both
supported by the UK government, are "keys to AgustaWestland's
future."
In a statement, UK Business Secretary Vince Cable said that the
Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) would assist in
a shift to civil helicopter work. "In July I announced £32
million of Government investment in AgustaWestland Yeovil to help
introduce the civil AW169 aircraft and we hope that this will allow
them to expand in the future," he said. “The JobCentre Plus
Rapid Response Service is on hand to provide a range of support
measures and BIS officials are in contact with the company to
ensure that everything possible is done to help those affected. The
Skills and Jobs Retention Group, chaired by Allan Cook, is also
ready to help the small number of skilled engineers affected by
today’s announcement.”
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