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Minister
Visits Scottish Gas Engineering Academy
Allan Wilson presented completion certificates to a
group of newly qualified gas engineers at the Scottish Gas Engineering
Academy.
Allan Wilson MSP, Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning,
presented completion certificates to a group of newly qualified gas
engineers at the Scottish Gas Engineering Academy, Queenslie, Glasgow. The
nine engineers have all been trained as part of the Ambition: Energy
programme, a skills initiative which trains the long-termed unemployed to
become gas engineers.
Mr Wilson said:
“It is a pleasure to acknowledge these engineers’ achievements and their
personal commitment to developing skills.
“Scottish Gas and the Academy are to be congratulated for their good work in
providing excellent career opportunities with the potential to help people
to turn their lives around.”
The Ambition: Energy initiative was run in close partnership with a range of
employers to address the skills shortages within the gas industry. Of the 64
recruits to the programme who have trained at the Academy, Scottish Gas has
recruited 41 engineers, including the latest nine graduates. The remainder
have gone straight on to work with a variety of employers within the gas
industry.
Former taxi driver 34 year old Grant Hutchison from Dalkeith, was one of the
graduates who received his certificate.
He was unemployed for three years before joining the Ambition: Energy
course. Grant said, “The course has had it’s moments but it was great at the
end when everything fell into place. I’m looking forward to putting all this
new knowledge in to practice helping customers.”
As well as the certificate presentation, the Minister was given a tour of
the Academy and met some of the current apprentices and adult trainees going
through their paces. Since opening in 2001, the Academy had trained 300
apprentices and 200 adult recruits, including those from the Ambition:
Energy programme.
John Connolly, general manager of Scottish Gas Home Services said “We
invited Allan Wilson to help raise awareness of the high standards of skills
and training delivered through the Scottish Gas Engineering Academy and of
the business’ commitment to addressing the skills shortage within the
utilities industry.”
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