Scott remembers with pride the day HMAS Collins was launched into the Port River. He took his family to Osborne to witness the momentous occasion; his son, Adam, was in a pram.
“It gives you a bit of pride in what you build, when you see the boat launch in the water for the first time,” says Scott.
“I started at ASC in 1992. I was there as a hull welder, boilermaker, and I used to work in the casing crew, putting the casings on the submarines.”
Scott worked at ASC for 17 years, before moving to BAE Systems Australia shipyard, just a stone’s throw away. In one way or another, he’s dedicated 31 years of his life to ship and submarine building.
It was Scott’s dad, Jack, who inspired his career choice.
“Dad did his apprenticeship in shipyards in Glasgow and Greenock, in Scotland, then migrated to Whyalla in South Australia in 1962,” Scott says.
“He ended up working for ASC. At home on the weekends I used to muck around with the old man, just making stuff. I really liked the metal work at school, so I applied for an apprenticeship here in Adelaide.”
Adam was a toddler when his parents took him to Osborne to witness the launch of HMAS Collins. In 2008 he joined ASC as a boilermaker apprentice – and he has been there ever since.
Adam is Fabrication Team Lead and currently manages 17 employees dedicated to the sustainment of the Collins Class submarines.
“I like the interesting work,” says Adam.
“There’s a lot of problem-solving, and no two problems are the same. The work is always different.”
Although his two children, eight-year-old Maddison and five-year-old Connor, are a few years away from entering the jobs market, Adam realises the value of his line of work.
“It’s a good time to get into STEM,” he says.
“If you can get into a trade, then do it. There aren’t enough tradespeople at the moment, so there are lots of opportunities.
“I see ASC as a place Maddison and Connor could work. It’s a good place to work – it’s always been very stable and secure, and there’s plenty to aim for.”
Scott agrees his grandchildren could one day end up working with their dad, at ASC, or perhaps over the fence at BAE Systems.
“There’s certainly going to be a lot of work here in South Australia,” he says.
“I think the future is looking bright for this shipyard for sure.”
