An experienced engineer has come out of retirement to share his expertise with a Cumbrian firm.
For nearly 40 years, Mark Robinson worked at global defence firm BAE Systems, and its predecessor businesses, at the company’s Barrow-in-Furness submarine division, with almost half of that term in a management capacity.
He retired in 2019, but was tempted back into the world of work after being approached by engineering firm Forth.
Mark said: “I took early retirement and a lot of people told me that I would get fed up if I didn’t have anything to do! It didn’t affect me too much but I did start delivering for a local chemist, and then I met up with a couple of people from Forth and they explained they wanted some help and that, with my background, I could assist them in certain areas.
“I told them I was only prepared to help if I could add value to the team, and they were keen to get me to have an overview of what the business was doing and advise on how to improve practices.
“I went to meet the team and put a plan together to incorporate some of the changes I suggested and it’s been really encouraging to see the way they have taken on board everything I have said and it’s clear this is a team which wants to continuously improve.”
Mark started his career as an electrician with Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd in 1981 where he gained a Higher National Certificate, before taking on a role as an engineer within testing and commissioning.
He continued working at the same site in Barrow when the company became VSEL and then Marconi Marine, before BAE Systems acquired the business in the late 1990s.
One of the most notable projects Mark played a key role in was the development of the First of Class, Dreadnought, a £31 billion programme of Royal Navy submarines which will carry Trident II D-5 missiles.
He played an integral part in the boat’s testing strategy, policing the design of the submarine and developing the testing and commissioning requirements.
He said: “We were responsible for a massive amount of quality, budget forecasting, safety and testing strategy, and all costings and activities were planned out and forecasted to make sure what we were doing was achievable to meet the in-service dates and be cost effective.
“Working on such a high profile, major project for the UK Navy was very interesting and I was proud to play such a role. There have been other classes of submarines I have worked on from the beginning to the end and those programmes have been very fulfilling professionally.”
The company, which has bases in Flimby, Cleator Moor and Barrow, all in Cumbria, provides a number of services including manufacturing; decommissioning; mixed reality services; installation and site services; design and substantiation; innovation; deep recovery; and a trade counter
