A GROUP of enterprising youngsters from the North-east are celebrating their success following the completion of an oil and gas training programme.
Twelve youngsters, aged 16 to 24, who were referred through Skills Development Scotland and Job Centre Plus, took part in the ‘Get into Oil and Gas’ course, run by The Prince’s Trust, in partnership with Enterprise North East Trust (Enterprise), gaining experience in various trades within the industry.
A special event to mark the end of the course took place at the Town House in Aberdeen last week (18 December), where the young people gave presentations about their experience to an audience including Aberdeenshire councillors, Derek McDonald and Alistair Reid, representatives from oil companies and The Prince’s Trust, and family and friends.
Georgea Hughes of the Wood Family Trust, which is a longstanding supporter of the programme across Scotland, presented the youngsters with certificates.
The tailored training scheme included an overview of the oil and gas industry, provided by project management and subsea specialist CSL Engineering.
Tullos Training Limited gave youngsters hands-on experience in practical skills including welding, bench fitting, machining and electronics.
Local recruitment company, Thorpe Molloy, hosted mock interviews for the candidates, and Thor Holt Limited taught them about presentation and speech skills.
The scheme finished with a week-long placement with an oil and gas company, giving trainees the chance to progress their skills into full-time employment or an apprenticeship.
Ross Meldrum, a trainee in the Get into Oil and Gas course, said: “The scheme is a great opportunity for young people to get into the oil and gas sector. For me, it has been the most useful and hands on programme I have experienced.”
Sir Ian Wood, chair of the Wood Family Trust, said: “The Wood Family Trust aims to encourage Scotland’s next generation to become responsible and enterprising citizens and has been supporting the Get into programme across Scotland for the last six years.
“The oil and gas industry is integral to the North-East and offers great opportunities for our young people, but many will lack the experience or qualifications necessary to access these.”
Graham Morgan, director of Enterprise North East Trust, said: “These are challenging times for young unemployed people, and a course such as this, designed to give them opportunities they might not otherwise have, building self-confidence and self esteem is fantastic.”
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