Growth Deal training course proves huge success

A number of employees from businesses across Ayrshire took part in a ground-breaking training course last week.

North Ayrshire firm Ailsa Reliability Solutions were awarded an Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund grant. This fund is a key component of the Ayrshire Growth Deal to help upskill engineers in the local region to fill a current skills gap and ensure the workforce has the skills required for the future.

The three-day engineering course was launched at the NMIS Digital Process Manufacturing Centre, located at Booth Welsh in the i3 area of Irvine, and was funded by the Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund (ASIF).

Ailsa Reliability Directors Jamie Burns and Kane Taylor delivered this initial training course as it was the first of its kind with support from NMIS. The training programme which was delivered in two levels, beginning with a comprehensive introduction to reliability engineering and insight into practical vibration analysis, meaning the engineers who attended the training now have a much better understand of the importance of equipment reliability and efficiency, the technologies available in the market to assist them in their roles as they grow into the future engineers in the region.

Young trainees from local business including DSM-Firmenich, Merck, Glennon Brothers and SAS International, took part and following completion of the course, these individuals now possess that will help their respective businesses maintain their plant equipment, driving energy efficiency and productivity within their organisations.

Currently this training is only available in the South of England and Aberdeen in theory-based classroom delivery. Ailsa Reliability Solutions are the first business in the UK to deliver the qualification with practical experience and understanding.

ASIF is a £3.5 million Ayrshire Growth Deal project. It was launched in October 2023 to help employers grow and develop their employees and increase skills for Ayrshire residents, linking them to growth sectors and employment opportunities.

Ailsa Reliability Solutions hopes to roll out a second training course later this year and ultimately have their own training academy here in Ayrshire.

Mr Burns added:

“We are trying to give these individuals a better understanding of the craft in a controlled environment. This course will be so useful for these budding engineers in their job as reliability engineering is an emerging market and they will be some of the first to apply this knowledge back in their operations.

“This is a game-changer for this industry. It is not just the next generation of engineers but the engineers already on the job who have not had experience of reliability, the technologies available and the mindset of understanding the potential root cause of issues they see on a daily basis.

“The Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund is fantastic and has supported us in bringing this pilot to life. It is all about upskilling people and helping people get the skills so they can get the best job and salaries here in Ayrshire. I am totally aligned to that and a massive supporter of the Fund and what it is trying to bring to the region.”

Councillor Martin Dowey, Leader of South Ayrshire Council and chair of the Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee, said:

“We have already seen hundreds of employees complete courses, funded by ASIF, which enhance skills and opportunities within key sectors in the Ayrshire economy.

“This course is another fantastic addition and has given young engineers real practical skills which will only help them in their careers. A huge well done to all who took part.”

If you are a company and would like to use ASIF to access training for your employees, please check out the Ayrshire Growth Deal website which provides the eligibility criteria and how to apply.