Merseyside-based shipyard and engineering company Cammell Laird said it won two 10-year contracts worth an estimated £619 million to support the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).

Birkenhead-based Cammell Laird said the contracts are a massive boost for the company and will enable it to continue to invest in its workforce, apprenticeship programme and infrastructure.

Cammell Laird said winning the contracts will sustain more than 300 jobs at the company and in the supply chain and create more than 100 apprenticeships.

Cammell Laird CEO John Syvret said: “Winning this new deal will give us the ability to continue our vital apprentice training programme recruiting talented young people from the area at the same drum beat of around 20 new apprentices a year.

“Today I am very proud to say we have recruited more than 200 apprentices since 2008 investing more than £12 million in staff training.

“The benefits the RFA contract brings to our region cannot be overstated and we will maintain our commitment to ensure this money is invested responsibly in our workforce and infrastructure to support the future requirements of the MoD and growth of the UK’s maritime sector.”

John Kennedy, Cammell Laird MOD programme director said winning the new contract is testament to the relationship and understanding Cammell Laird has built with the MoD and the RFA over the last ten years.

“This is tremendous news for everyone involved in Cammell Laird and all the organisations and people who support our vision to bring a renaissance of ship repair and ship building to Merseyside and the UK,” said Kennedy.

“The effort that has gone into the RFA cluster contract since 2008 has been immense and I pay tribute to all involved including the RFA, the MoD, our workforce and our supply chain who have made this approach to clustering such a success.

“We have built an enduring relationship with the MoD and the RFA which has consistently driven value for money.

“The cornerstone of the success is our collaborative approach bringing the MoD, RFA, the customer’s contractors and our supply chain together generating in-depth understanding of the ships and the engineering they require.

“The effectiveness of this approach is further shown by the awarding of the BS11000 accreditation for collaborative business relationships and management systems which we have achieved together.”