An Aberdeen training company claims there could be another potential skills gap looming in the North Sea due to the ageing workforce.
The offshore industry suffered from a lack of fresh talent between 2012 and 2014 that was eventually plugged through a variety of schemes.
However in a bid to avert any future repeat scenario ITCA Training, which is based at the Kirkhill Industrial Estate in Dyce, has come up with a specially tailored course for “the engineers of tomorrow”.
The Skills for Engineers course (S4E) to provide in-depth training for learners aged 16 to 18 years old who have left full-time education.
ITCA deliver a mixture of practical workshop based training with classroom based studies over the 16-week course, which is funded through the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) employability fund.
The course offers in-depth training in a wide range of disciplines including general workshop skills, health and safety awareness, hand fitting, service engineering, assembly skills and welding.
The course ends with a four week work placement to build on their skills in a proper working environment.
June Jones, managing director of ITCA, said: “It is important that businesses address the issue of a potential skills gap, before it becomes a serious problem for the North-east in the future. In the current market, it is more important than ever before to have relevant experience and an industry standard qualification when applying for a job.
“The aim of S4E is to give learners the training and workplace experience required to get a foothold in the engineering industry, build their confidence and raise their understanding of safety in the workplace.
“This type of hands-on experience instantly gives S4E participants an advantage over other jobseekers in an extremely competitive market. Since the establishment of the S4E course, we have seen a high number of learners gaining full-time employment at a number of different companies, not only in the oil and gas sector, which is extremely positive.”
