A Highland firm has for the first time revealed details of its “long road” to resurrect a subsea trials and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) business at Fort William.
A former director of a world-class diving training centre at Fort William has recalled “hoping for an 11th hour rescue package which never came”.
Plans to keep an underwater training and dive centre as a going concern are over after a £3 million business plan has fallen through, according to the businessman behind it.
A businessman has sent a letter pleading with one of the world’s richest men to withdraw his bid on land belonging to an underwater training centre which went into administration.
Assets have been sold following the administration of Fort William’s Underwater Centre.
The site of the former Underwater Centre could be salvaged through a new "concept" thanks to efforts by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
There was fresh hope last night that new owners will be found to continue the work of a world-leading Highland subsea training centre that went into administration earlier this month.
Administrators appointed to a world-leading Highland subsea training centre last night said they were doing everything in their power to help students left thousands of pounds out of pocket by its collapse.
Accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael has appointed administrators to the troubled Underwater Centre in Fort William.
"Significant support" will be given to staff affected after a world-leading Highland subsea training base went into administration yesterday, putting around 50 jobs at risk.
A world-leading Highland subsea training base has been placed into administration putting around 50 jobs at risk.
A Highland subsea training centre is reaping the benefits of a recent deal to secure its future with the re-launch of a hugely popular commercial diving course.
A diver training centre has said it was “business as usual” for its Fort William business despite its subsidiary being placed in liquidation.
The Scottish Government is providing funding for commercial diver training in an effort to avoid a major skills shortage in the subsea industry.
The oil and gas price downturn is putting the squeeze on a commercial diving sector that is “saturated” with workers. But many divers are using the lull in activity to learn new skills through training to improve their chances of finding employment when the upturn comes. Anthony Stelzer, who is earning his closed bell diving qualification at The Underwater Centre (TUC), a Fort William-based trainer, said the market had become extremely competitive after the oil price collapsed in 2014.
To some people the very idea of commercial diving is like walking on the moon, while to others it is as normal as driving to work or having a night on the tiles. Then there are those who have to resort to hypnosis therapy to even contemplate it. One thing is for sure – it’s not for everyone.
Fort William's Underwater Centre has been identified as one of the UK's most inspirational companies.
The Underwater Centre testing facility in Fort William, Scotland, has added the FMC Schilling TITAN 4 syllabus to its current ROV training suite.
Fort William's Underwater Centre, is working in collaboration with asset integrity multi-national Stork to deliver a new one-day certified course in bolt tensioning for divers.
Highland subsea training and trials facility, The Underwater Centre, has appointed Steve Cullen to the newly created role of ROV operations manager. He joins the centre from Ashtead Technology and Subsea 7 where he took up similar training roles, with responsibility for ROV personnel's technical and engineering training. Mr Cullen has worked offshore for more than 23 years in various positions from ROV pilot to offshore operations manager.