A new Forth Valley College run Pre-Apprenticeship in Fabrication and Welding – which has been created by ECITB – has sparked special interest from engineering and manufacturing firms across Scotland.
At an Employer Engagement event held at FVC’s Falkirk Campus on Friday 21 October, Dougie Ross, Curricululm, Manager in FVC’s Department of STEM and Construction and Caroline Hogg, FVC’s Client Manager in the Department of Business Development, welcomed Paul Hynd from the Engineering, Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), a group of 10 Pre-App students and representatives from well-known employers such as Applus, Altrad/Doosan and Billfinger.
Those attending were given a tour of the state-of-the-art engineering facilities at the Falkirk Campus and treated to talks and presentations about the benefit of the new course for students and employers. It is understood that completing the course will make students more employable and drastically improve their chances of attaining a full-time job.
Dougie Ross, said: “This is the first time this new course has been run and we are delighted to have the support of the ECITB on getting it off the ground. It really is great to see a growth in the Fabrication and Welding sector and we are really excited to be leading the way in Scotland with this course. Hopefully this is the beginning of a strengthening partnership between the College and ECITB which will grow from year to year.”
Caroline Hogg, said: “We are delighted with the interest from employers and the support they have committed to helping these young people throughout the course. These young people are our Engineers of the Future and this innovative ECITB course is the catalyst for their career paths into this Industry.”
Vince Dutch, ECITB Account Manager Scotland, said: “Through our valued partnership with Forth Valley College we aim to provide a pipeline of new entrants into the engineering construction industry. Pre-apprenticeships are a great way to kick start a career and we are delighted to see the interest being shown in these young people from local employers.”
Scott Ritchie from Applus UK Ltd, said: “After undertaking a tour of the Engineering Department at Forth Valley College I was extremely impressed with the facilities and course options available to the students. That combined with the positive attitude and aptitude of the students we met, is clearly a good combination for success.
“The opportunity for potential employers like Applus to connect with the students as they progress through their course, will be extremely beneficial in helping them determine their chosen path into industry. With the ever-increasing development of new sectors like renewables and automation, today’s students will be exposed to a new era of engineering and development. With the introduction of collaborative strategies like this, the future is looking extremely promising for our young engineers of the future.”
