Last month, Scottish Renewables hosted the Green Energy Awards 2015 in Edinburgh. The ceremony was opened by Nicola Sturgeon and attended by over 1200 people. The event recognised the outstanding success of The Energy Skills Partnership (ESP) who won the Contribution to Skills and Training Award.
Over the last two years, ESP, a collaboration between Scotland’s colleges, has worked to support the advancement of micro-renewables training across eight college regions. Working with the Scottish & Northern Plumbing Employers Federation, the Partnership has helped identify and support 120 young plumbers working toward the Environmental Technologies Award (Solar Thermal & Heat Pumps). West College Scotland is part of the Partnership and is delivering 19 of these 120 training opportunities.
The Award comes to confirm the remarkable and continuous success of the Partnership, who won the same award in 2013. WCS are delighted to play a significant role in this success. Andrew Fogarty, WCS Head of Energy & Engineering, said:
This is a great result for ESP and participating colleges. The award recognises the regional approach to delivering more skills to apprentices to ensure that they are ready for the emerging technology market.
ESP is looking forward to expanding its role in supporting the development of Scotland’s future workforce to meet the need for sustainable energy. Jim Brown, ESP’s Director, said:
Our project work has been recognised as exemplary and this has led to ESP extending our remit to cover Engineering, Construction and Emerging Technologies as well as our original Energy remit.
WCS Energy & Engineering and Construction sectors are committed to supporting Energy Skills Partnership in this important work.
Pictured above from left to right, standing: John Laing (Edinburgh College), Andrew Fogarty (West College Scotland), Ian Morrison (Forth Valley College), Duncan Wilson (SNIPEF), Jim Brown (ESP), Scott Warden (Dundee & Angus College) and Angus Allan (South Lanarkshire College); seated: Rob Orr (SDS) and John Renwick (ESP)
Pictured in news header from left to right: Keith Burns (Senvion), Jim Brown and John Renwick (Energy Skills Partnership), Rob Orr (Skills Development Scotland)