Modular construction spreads carrier work and preserves skills

Queen Elizabeth-class blocks were built at several yards and floated to Rosyth for assembly. That arrangement was meant to increase the construction pace without forcing one yard to hire a huge temporary workforce and then lay it off when two ships were complete. The intended schedule would have brought the ships into service in time to take Harriers, but subsequent delays disrupted that plan. Spreading the contract also distributed public money, upgraded technical skills, and gave yards capabilities they could use when competing for later commercial or naval work. It also allowed experienced workers to train the next generation across more than one industrial centre.