Forth Valley College and Celtic Renewables will be following four newly recruited Modern Apprentices during their first academic year to show how the partners are ‘Growing Scotland’s Green Workforce’.
And they have just launched the first episode of their new short form docuseries showing the four eager new MAs, as they begin career journeys which will contribute to the future of a low carbon-Scotland. To view click here.
Both FVC and Celtic Renewables are excited to be working together on this project, with at least four episodes expected over the course of the year, and are confident that the series will generate interest across Scotland in how the Just Transition is actually working, especially in a community that has been synonymous with Oil and Gas for decades.
The film - produced and edited by local filmmaker Michael Rea - will also promote the College, Modern Apprenticeships, training and sustainability and aims to show how FVC and Celtic renewables are making learning and renewables work for the people of Forth Valley and beyond.
Scottish green chemical producer Celtic Renewables , who are based at Grangemouth, welcomed four apprentices - Matthew Hampson, Process Apprentice, Aiden Reid, Process Apprentice, Rory MacDonald, Multi-skilled Apprentice and Lewis McNab, Multi-skilled Apprentice through a Modern Apprenticeship scheme in collaboration with FVC, in August.
The first film shows the apprentices being given an induction tour of their new workplace and also meeting with Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, at Forth Valley College, to discuss their future career aspirations.
Each of the four college students will garner experience as an apprentice Electrical Engineer, Process Operator and Mechanical Engineer, while studying for their Scottish Vocational Qualification at Forth Valley College.
This is the first year Celtic Renewables has participated in a Modern Apprenticeship scheme. It aims to expand its participation and take on more apprentices in the coming years as the company scales up its operations producing green chemicals using waste & by-products from food, drink and agricultural industries.
There are currently over 25,000 apprentices across Scotland, with close to two thirds (63.9 percent) training in the science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) fields.
This uptake is a result of the £100M investment from the Scottish Government to encourage school leavers into apprenticeships, with the aim of creating a new generation of qualified workers to work in Scotland’s burgeoning green economy.
Kerry Johnson, Chief People Officer at Celtic Renewables said: “We are excited about this film project with our new Modern Apprentices. The skills our apprentices will learn over the next three years will prepare them for the highly skilled, well-paid roles that are already being created as part of Scotland’s Just Transition.
“If we are to realise Scotland’s potential as the home of new low-carbon industries and technologies, we need to bridge the current green skills gap.
“Apprenticeships are a vehicle to equip young people with valuable skills, knowledge and on-the-job training that will be essential for achieving a more sustainable future.
Once the apprentices finish their training, they will have a permanent role at Celtic Renewables.”
Caroline Hogg, Head of Apprenticeships at Forth Valley College, added: “This was an excellent opportunity for our College and one of its newest employer partners to showcase just what the green chemical and engineering workforce of the future will look like. It will be exciting to see how the new Mas progress throughout the year ahead and we can’t wait to see how their skills and understanding of the industry develop.
“Over the next year, apprentices from Celtic Renewables will benefit from a blend of classroom learning, practical workshops and hands-on training that simulate the real challenges of the industry.
“Our aim is to ensure that when they’re back in the workplace, they can apply what they’ve learned straight away and add real value to their teams.
“For the apprentices, it means they get the best of both worlds: academic and practical training from the College, combined with invaluable workplace experience at an innovative company like Celtic Renewables.”
For more information on FVC Apprenticeships visit https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/apprenticeships and for more information on Celtic renewables visit https://www.celtic-renewables.com/
