SKILLS GAP FEATURE - 6TH FORM SCHOOLS TO FE COLLEGES
SPECIALLY DESIGNED COURSES PREPARE NEW GENERATION FOR ENERGY CAREERS
Young people are being trained in a range of skills for careers in the energy and marine industries on two new courses launched at Great Yarmouth College.
These are both industry-designed courses that started in September to address the skills gap and arm school leavers with essential knowledge and ‘hands-on’ engineering training to lead them to jobs.
DEVELOPING WITH THE INDUSTRY The college is in regular dialogue with the energy sector and the developers of wind farms as it develops its skills training and courses.
THE KIER BUILDING It has also just opened a new engineering centre beside the college’s ‘Home of Construction’, the Kier Building, housing computer-aided design equipment (CAD), hydraulic and pneumatic facilities, programmable logic controllers and traditional engineering machinery.
Gary Jefferson, Director of construction
SPECIFIC COURSES The college’s Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) levels 1 and 2 courses offer students a solid skills base and were renowned across the engineering sector as excellent foundations for careers in engineering”. he said.
MEETING INDUSTRY REQUIREMENTS The college worked closely with EEEGR, the East of England Energy Group, to ensure the programmes met industry requirements and quality.
The (ESFP) is a 12-month structured training programme that has been piloted at neighbouring Lowestoft College for the previous two years.
“We are delighted to be working with EEEGR on the first phase of the rollout of the Energy Industry’s Pre-Apprenticeship programme.
“Great Yarmouth is of course synonymous with the offshore energy sector. Sharing in the prosperity of the sector is in everyone’s interest.
“About 50% of the Great Yarmouth College’s part-time day-release engineering students are working in servicing the energy sector already. The college is looking to build on this.”
“The PEO courses offer a good skills base and are excellent foundations for any career in engineering.
The Energy Skills Foundation Programme (ESFP) is aimed at the offshore and energy sectors and the Marine Skills Foundation Programme (MSFP) for the marine sector.
and engineering, said: “We now have a modern and up to date facility that offers more opportunities for our learners.”
“Students can progress on to apprenticeships or employment or the level 3 BTEC extended diploma in engineering.” Gary concluded.
Gt Yarmouth College
www.gyc.ac.uk
EMPLOYER DEMAND Ian Pease, Head of Maritime, Offshore and Energy at Lowestoft College, said: “We developed and introduced the course to meet the demand from employers in the local area who have indicated that there is an emerging shortage in deck ratings.”
“A benefit of the course is that it can lead to a number of different career paths. In the first instance, people could work as a deck rating on a ship and, with experience of working at sea and further training, they could pursue a career as an Able Seafarer, Officer of the Watch or Master Mariner. It would also be possible to apply the knowledge and qualification to
find roles within the wider offshore wind sector and in port operations.”
EXPERIENCED AND PRACTICAL TEAM As well as being able to use some of the excellent specialist maritime facilities at the College, the group will also benefit from the knowledge and experience of the lecturers who have all spent significant time working at sea before joining the College. In time, the College also hopes to introduce an Apprenticeship in Maritime Occupations which uses the same qualifications.
GLOBAL ATTRACTION Lowestoft College has a long history of running successful courses in the maritime
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk 29
and offshore sectors and has helped many thousands of people gain industry qualifications. The department attracts students from the UK, Europe and from around the world with people travelling from as far afield as India, America and South Africa to attend the College.
Lowestoft College
www.lowestoft.ac.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108