SPONSORS OF EAST ANGLIA FEATURE
TRAINING FOR NEW ROLES IN A GROWING INDUSTRY
Young people are being trained in skills for the wind energy industry in a new course at Great Yarmouth College designed in partnership with sector employers.
ENERGY SKILLS FOUNDATION PROGRAMME As new roles are created across the developing industry, practical projects are being added to the new Energy Skills Foundation Programme to prepare young people for the workplace.
The programme was launched last September with 19 pioneer students after the college worked closely with EEEGR and Marine East to ensure the programmes met industry requirements and quality.
It is hoped that the students will move from the one-year intensive course to Apprenticeships.
PROJECTS
One of the projects to generate a clear understanding of how wind power and turbines work challenges students to design and make their own working models of mini-turbines. One of the two groups is creating a traditional turbine with propellers. The other is an alternative wind farm using barrels that work on a similar principle to a jet engine.
Tutor Kevin Forbes said: “They are just small models that they have designed and created themselves and must work on exactly the same principle as power generating turbines. They are also creating a solar panel and running a remote-controlled car from power generated by the panel.”
PARTNERSHIP For manufacturing experience, the College has forged a partnership with one of the borough’s biggest employers, Pasta Foods, where students join the workforce once a week to gain process engineering practical experience.
Karl Jermyn, Managing Director of Pasta Foods – one of Great Yarmouth’s biggest employers – said: “Our factory is engineering intensive not labour intensive. Most people you see in the factory are engineers. Their experience here will give them an insight into how a factory works and the work of engineers in a manufacturing setting.”
REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE
Great Yarmouth College Director of Construction and Engineering Gary Jefferson said real world experience was integral to the course.
“Between us, we are creating tomorrow’s engineers and with the experience they gain at Pasta Foods, they will be ahead of the competition in the employment market.”
Lecturer Alan Ridge, who teaches the Energy Skills Foundation course, said as well as electrical, energy and manufacturing skills students would carry out maintenance projects in the welding department.
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 69
Aaron Kern, 18, said: “This course should set us up for a career. This time next year we could be starting a job.”
Great Yarmouth College
www.gyc.ac.uk
They would also visit windfarms, a fossil fuel power station, Bacton gas terminal, Sizewell B nuclear power station and employers including Halliburton.
“The industry is so diverse – windfarms, nuclear, fossil fuels and oil and gas. After this course they could go on into work, on to an apprenticeship, or move on to a BTEC Extended Diploma in engineering.” Alan added
STUDENTS
Students are keen to get started in a working environment.
Students at work
Lewis Swann, 18, said: “This is real – the opportunity to learn real applied skills to work in the energy industry.”
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