A WINDFALL of C$1million (£625,000) is set to confirm Fife’s Carnegie College as one of Scotland’s leaders in developing the vocational skills needed to support the rapidly accelerating renewable-energy sector.
The money is being given by Scots-born Canadian mining entrepreneur Robert M. Buchan, who is following in the footsteps of the college’s founding benefactor, Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American steel king and philanthropist.
The money will endow a new energy research and development centre on the college’s Rosyth engineering campus.
College principal Professor Bill McIntosh said that, since 2000, Carnegie had pursued a strategy of growth and investment for electrical, mechanical, systems and constructive engineering.
“More recently, we have been at the centre of developing the educational skills that are now needed for the renewable-energy sector,” he said.
“In terms of growth, engineering provision now accounts for almost one-third of all learning at Carnegie College.”
“We have recently forged a strong and effective partnership with Scottish & Southern Energy, Siemens and the Sector Skills Council for Energy and Utility to develop the first bespoke range of Modern Apprenticeship technician programmes for on and offshore wind. Our vision is to ‘engineer a sustainable energy future’, and the Whitlock Centre aims to provide sector-leading learning, training, skills development and associated educational services, with a particular focus on sustainability.”
The new centre will be located on Carnegie’s Rosyth campus, which is, itself, about to undergo a £400,000 refurbishment and expansion to further enhance the college’s delivery of the vocational skills needed for the expanding engineering and renewables sector.
The refurbishment will see the college expand to provide more classroom space, an engineering demonstration laboratory, a dedicated CAD area, meeting rooms and conference facilities, as well as increasing the capacity of its specialist workshops.
The Whitlock Centre will be at the hub of the engineering campus, providing up to 1,000sq m of dedicated space for the renewables sector that will include a demonstration lab and exhibition area.
Recommended for you
