North Highland College to get Nigg training spin-off
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The Engineering, Technology and Energy Centre at North Highland College is set to be involved in training apprentices who are signed up with the Nigg Skills Academy in Ross-shire.
The academy has been established as a pilot project and aims to run 290 modern apprenticeships in its first year, providing both modern apprenticeships and general training for 3000 people by 2015.
But in delivering its training, it is proposing to send a number of workers to ETEC as part of their apprenticeship.
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership’s Eann Sinclair said: “North Highland College is working in partnership with the Nigg Skills Academy to be the key deliverer of training to apprentices.
“Facilities at ETEC are currently better than anything that exists in the Highlands and they are proposing to put a number of apprentices in the short term at the Thurso campus to go through their training and gain qualifications.
“Over the last couple of months, the college has been in close contact with the Nigg Skills Academy and they are talking about sending 30 people to be trained at Thurso in the first year.
“But they are talking about eventually training 3000 people by 2015, because the scale of work they are proposing is huge and Thurso will have a part to play in the training programme.
“It is recognised by the Nigg Skills Academy the quality of the infrastructure that already exists up here and the Nigg Skills Academy is at the moment just a building with a few people to run it.”
College principal Dr Gordon Jenkins said details are being finalised on forming the training partnership.
He said the college will announce its exact role within the next few weeks.
“We’ve had meetings with representatives from the Nigg Skills Academy, but have yet to determine who will be doing exactly what,” he said.
“But the college will be taking part either by providing or supervising the delivery of the education and training of the apprenticeships. North Highland College is delighted to be involved in this venture and playing a part in helping to provide jobs for the people who are involved with the skills academy.”
Global Energy Group bought the 238-acre yard site at Nigg from KBR and the Wakelyn Trust in October. It is hoped in three years there will be 2000 people employed at the energy park.
The Nigg Skills Academy – launched last month by First Minister Alex Salmond – aims to provide modern apprenticeships and general training for roles such as engineers, operators, riggers and technicians as well as project management. It is being funded with over £900,000 from the Scottish Funding Council, Skills Development Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Wick and Thurso Trades Council member David Alexander said that recent developments at Nigg have caused concern among companies in the Far North, but said it is encouraging opportunities are being created for young people.
“The number of apprentices working for companies involved with Dounreay has fallen due to the fact most of them say they do not foresee long-term employment,” he said.
“The new energy park is good news for Nigg, but every win they get makes me more anxious about the future of the energy industry in Caithness.
“Easter Ross seems to be buoyant at the moment and it is an easy commute from Inverness, so will be an attractive place for investment.
“The fact that there is a tie-in with North Highland College is welcoming news from our aspect, but I’m still worried we could end up losing out.”
