| Details: | 18-year old Colin MacDonald from Fochabers has proved himself best in class by winning the Lead Trainee Prize Award 2003 sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the first year of the highly successful Upstream Oil and Gas Industry Technician Training Programme.
The former pupil of Milne's High School, Fochabers, received his Award, a commemorative plaque and cheque for £250, from Lewis Macdonald, MSP and vice-chair of PILOT, at a special lunch held today at the Ardoe House Hotel in Aberdeen before an audience of senior figures from Government and the oil and gas industry.
Runners-up Ian McHardy from Keith, training at Aberdeen College; John Margetson from Aberchirder, training at Jewel and Esk Valley College, Edinburgh and Stephen Gilliland from Mid Calder, West Lothian, training at Mech Tech, Grangemouth, each received a cheque for £50.
Lewis Macdonald said: ""This training scheme is a good example of cross company co-operation - as well as Sector Skills Councils working with their industries to overcome potential skills shortages. The energy sector offers a wide range of job opportunities, both now and in the future. Students and school leavers should be confident that a career in the energy sector is a worthwhile and successful one to pursue. Those young people that I have met today have an excellent future ahead of them in the energy sector, and I would urge more young people to consider following them and pursuing such a career."
Colin, who is training at Aberdeen College, said: "I applied to train as an Offshore Mechanical Technician because I saw this as an excellent opportunity to qualify for a specific job within the oil industry. The scheme covers both theoretical and practical off-the-job training and site-based training and I particularly enjoy the 'hands on' approach. I have found the training programme to be both stimulating and technically challenging and I think it offers a great opportunity for up and coming young engineers."
The Upstream Oil and Gas Industry Technician Training Scheme was launched by PILOT in September 2002. Trainees are jointly sponsored by oil and gas operating and contracting companies through their managing agents Cogent, the industry's Sector Skills Council, and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB).
The training programme consists of two phases; a fully expensed 18 month off-the-job phase leading to an HNC and a 24 month on-the-job phase in either the sponsors' on-shore or off-shore facilities leading to the level 3 VQ.
Sheila Simpson, Training & Competency Co-ordinator at ConocoPhillips (U.K.) Limited and one of the Award judges, said: "ConocoPhillips currently has thirteen apprentices involved in on-the-job training, five in college and two others about to enter college. Although not directly involved in the recruiting of the college intakes, we find the calibre of the technicians extremely high and have so far not been disappointed with the competency of the apprentices allocated to our assets. As an industry with an ageing workforce this scheme is both useful and necessary, with a clear benefit to the participating companies and the individuals who find a wide open door to an exciting and fulfilling career"
The trainees have now completed the first 12 months of college based training and have another six to go before moving to the offshore phase of the training at which point they will be linked to specific operating companies. |
Back to press releases
