A firm specialising in the skills needs of people working in difficult and potentially dangerous environments has opened a £1 million training centre in Aberdeen.
The seven-figure investment by MRS Training & Rescue is expected to create 30 jobs over the next three years.
This is a significant investment for our business, most especially during the challenging times the pandemic has brought.”
Andy Watson, operations manager, MRS Training & Rescue.
It is the Mansfield, Nottinghamshire-based company’s third Scottish training facility, with two sites already up and running in Fife.
MRS invested £100,000 in a new centre in Inverkeithing just last year and has a longer-established facility in Crossgates.
The firm also now occupies its own 18,300sq ft building on 1.26-acres of Campus One at Aberdeen Science & Technology Park, on Balgownie Road.
Wide range of services and clients
Its newest skills centre is intended to support a variety of industries, including oil and gas, renewables and marine, with specialist training and industrial rescue services.
These services include accredited training for working at height and in confined spaces, such as on wind turbines, as well as first aid.
MRS said its first Aberdeen site, which has initially created six skilled jobs, with a further six expected during the first year, marked an important expansion of its Scottish footprint.
Significant investment
Andy Watson, operations manager at the firm, added: “This is a significant investment for our business, most especially during the challenging times the pandemic has brought.
“We have been fortunate to buck the economic trend over the last 24 months and remained fully operational.
“This new facility will provide leading training and consultancy for the north of Scotland and deliver the best solutions for industry in this region.”
The centre boasts six classrooms, a 56ft work-at-height tower, mock wind turbine “hub”, sloping roof and ladders for climbing.
MRS – formerly Mines Rescue Service – also highlighted many yards of “crawl” space and the capacity to simulate a variety of confined environments.
Scottish heritage
The company has had a presence in Scotland since 1910, when it established a rescue station in Cowdenbeath, Fife.
Against the background of a gradual decline of coal mining over many years, the firm has expanded and diversified to meet the needs of today’s health and safety market.
Using many years of expertise in underground mining, it now provides rescue expertise, specialist equipment, consultancy and a broad range of accredited health and safety related products, training and services to clients throughout the UK and overseas.
Mr Watson said: “Our company has been at the forefront of innovation since our inception over 100 years ago.”
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