(Part 1: https://rina.org.uk/publications/the-naval-architect/neurodiversity-and-naval-architecture-pt-1/)
TNA: What are some of the benefits of hiring neurodiverse individuals?
David: One trait of neurodiverse people is that, if you give us an opportunity, we’re very reliable – we’ll work for the company for 25 years. While graduates are vitally important for their skills, a lot of them tend to stay at the company for three years or so before moving on. Companies like Babcock want people who stay with the company for a long time: I went from being an apprentice to a senior planner very quickly.
One of the skills we need in the industry is innovation, and this is an area where neurodiverse people thrive – think of designers and engineers who have to get things done on a tight timescale. We, the shipbuilding industry, need people who can think differently, act differently and be comfortable enough to do that – to develop new fuel systems and new propulsion systems.
Seafarers with ADHD can develop constant burnout, as there’s no time for them to shut off. But their ADHD also makes them good workers, because they can complete that 20-hour shift when the engine goes down. Another benefit is that people with autism tend to be very health-and-safety conscious. They have good pattern recognition and can see where there are faults and blind alleys in safety and security plans. People with dyspraxia are at more risk of accidents, so may be more wary of hazards and able to spot problems before others do. Hiring people who think differently is like taking a full 360° view: you’re going to make companies safer, more successful and more secure.
TNA: What are some of the barriers to entry in shipbuilding, and how does this contrast with companies’ concerns about the perceived ‘skills shortage’?
David: To get an apprenticeship, you need ridiculously high grades – even though, if you want to be a welder, you don’t need A-Level Maths: you just need applied maths [the study of using maths to solve real-world problems]. It’s almost like a racket between the trainers, the colleges and the universities – they get paid to put people through the colleges. People who don’t do typically well at school cannot get apprenticeships because they don’t have these grades.
There are two directors at Babcock who came in with no grades at all – one was a caulker, one was a plater – and they still became successful directors of a company. Why aren’t we giving people similar opportunities to come into the shipbuilding industry?
I want to passionately fight for this. Babcock has a production support operative [PSO] programme at Rosyth, Scotland where you can come in with no grades and can be any age…you could be 60 and go for the programme. We’re putting forward 130 people for advanced apprenticeships; instead of taking three to four years, it will take them two to two-and-a-half years to complete their apprenticeships. Quite a lot of these people are neurodiverse, and now they finally have an opportunity to grab with both hands.
TNA: What advice would you give to neurodiverse people starting out on their maritime careers, especially those worried about employer bias, or who still find it difficult to talk about?
David: I’d always say: be open and honest about it. What I want to do is catch people at the start, when they join, and put all the provisions in place. If you leave it until six months in, you can get off on the wrong foot with co-workers, who might complain that you’re not good at spelling or taking notes. If you say you’re dyslexic and make others aware, we can guide your career better. There are companies out there that now have a strong EDI policy that will support you.
TNA: And what advice would you give to companies when it comes to recruiting and maintaining neurodiverse people?
David: Implement a neurodiversity policy; ask whether applicants are neurodiverse; and work out what reasonable adjustments need to be put in place for them.
Before our neurodiversity policy came in, we met a lot of people who were incredibly gifted but just couldn’t get past the interview process, because they were autistic – so they would be shy, put their heads down and look at the desk, and generally not come across well during the interview. But do you want a person who does well at interviews? Or do you want the best person for the job?
We employed a data analyst who, within two hours on the job, had sorted out problems with Excel spreadsheets and made the process much more efficient. That person went on to get a high-paying role – even though he’d applied four times before and had not got through the interview process.
This also means providing the right equipment: for example, Babcock has introduced Echo pens and e-readers to help with reading important documents, such as safety documents. But it’s all about changing the parameters of what you’re actually looking for – does every single job advert have to ask for a ‘good communicator’? Even for a data analyst position, where you’re just dealing with spreadsheets and don’t talk to people regularly? The industry has a ‘copy and paste’ approach to job adverts, where applicants have to be ‘a good communicator’ or ‘a people person’ – but it’s better to tailor your job description for the actual role, rather than sticking to some standard format. This ties back to what we were saying before, about how shipbuilding, like the tech sector, attracts niche people.
If you make neurodiverse people comfortable in the workforce, you can make companies very successful. Give them a chance, and they’ll take both your hands off for it.
