Forth Valley College has been busy with Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2019 activities over the past few days.
On Monday 4 March First Minister Nicola Sturgeon chose Forth Valley College – one of Scotland’s leading trainers of Modern and Foundation Apprentices – to launch a new network initiative on the first day of Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2019.
The College’s state-of-the-art Falkirk Campus Engineering facilities were the perfect backdrop to the First Minister announcing the new Scotland’s Apprentice Network – which is facilitated by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and aims to have an apprenticeship ambassador within every high school in Scotland by Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2020.
Also on Monday 4 March FVC Engineering Curriculum Manager Dougie Ross and two Foundation Apprentices Kieran Kennedy and Colin Knowles – both Graeme High School pupils - were at the Forth Ports facility on Monday 4 March as Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson visited. Also in the photograph is Nick Henderson, Apprentice & Early Careers Manager, Forth Ports Limited.
On Tuesday 5 March FVC Pre-Apprenticeship students were given a talk by Dougie Bryson a Syngenta Control/Electrical Reliability Engineer today. Syngenta MAs Connor Russell and Lewis Wright also attended to give application and interview advice to the class.
The Pre-Apprenticeship students were: Ross Allan, Dean Barron, Jordan Linton, Ciaran McClelland, Callum Stoddart, Ryan Turnbull (all from Falkirk), Ethan Findlay from Larbert, Christopher Hall from Alloa, Alan Campbell from Bathgate and Michael Gibb from Burntisland.
At the Alloa Campus on Tuesday 5 March the Alloa Construction team hosted a Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) competition between three Forth Valley College apprentice students and three Glasgow Kelvin apprentices.
Local MSP Keith Brown, local employers and representatives from BESA attended the event, resources for which were provided by Conex.
Engineering Modern Apprentices and FVC Business Development staff – including Client Manager Caroline Hogg and David Quinney MA manager Employed Status – attended two Primary three classes at St Andrew’s Primary School in Falkirk on Monday 5 March, to introduce them to engineering activities. Equipment was provided by the Energy Skills Partnership (ESP) including a Mechano set for pupils.
Dougie Gair, Learning Architect, at TechnipFMC’s School of Manufacturing UK and TechnipFMC MA Shane Smith visited the college on Friday 8 March to speak with the Pre-apprenticeship course and also students from the NC Fabrication and Welding.
The week before Scottish Apprenticeship Week FVC - in association with STEP - held a Chefs of the Future event at the Stirling Campus Gallery Restaurant (Thursday 28 February) which was very well received and showcased the next generation of cookery and hospitality professionals.