ACE Winches Supports Pilot Engineering Course for Turriff

Global deck machinery specialist, ACE Winches in partnership with Turriff Academy, ITCA Training and Aberdeenshire Council have launched a pilot engineering course for Turriff Academy pupils this month (September 2015).

The senior phase course aims to meet the development needs of Scotland’s Young Workforce, a framework led by Sir Ian Wood supporting organizations looking to recruit, retain and develop young people and backs ACE Winches’ wider youth development CSR strategy.

ACE Winches CEO, Alfie Cheyne said: “We are committed to supporting young people within the local community to afford them opportunities in their future career and personal goals.

“It is a pleasure to be part of this offer to Turriff Academy students which includes industry standard training allowing aspiring apprentices to obtain essential engineering and health and safety qualifications.

“Training is a core service of our business and our ACE Winch Academy has been providing programs for all aspects of winch and spooling operations for five years.”

The seven-month pilot session will support 16 pupils and deliver three theory units based at school using ITCA resources and two practical units delivered at ITCA in Dyce. The three theory units are Health and Safety, Working with Others and Understanding Engineering Drawing under Performing Engineering Operations SVQ level 1-5.

SQA Employability may also be an option as an introduction to Mechanical Engineering. Successful pupils would gain 47 SCQF points for Mechanical Engineering or 43 SCQF points for the Welding option.

Jane Bisset, depute rector, Turriff Academy commented: “The rural location of Turriff makes it extremely difficult for the school to pay for the transport needed to access apprenticeships and training for the engineering field.

“We have 24 S4-S6 pupils interested in an engineering course, which would not be possible without the generosity of the partners involved due to specialist staff shortages in technologies at the school.

“This initial training providing an industry standard PE01 course instead of the usual type of school-based course is a significant step forward for us and I’d like to thank everyone involved for enabling our students this invaluable opportunity.”

For pupils desiring to enter the industry after leaving school they would also require to have at least National 4 Maths and also a National 4 in either Graphic Communication, Design and Manufacture or Practical Craft.

Mr Cheyne said: “Fostering and developing people is a strongly embedded value at ACE Winches and the partnership with Turriff Academy and ITCA is an example of how we are putting this belief into action.

“This summer for the fifth consecutive year we gifted perpetual trophies for technology and science.  Pupils from Turriff Academy, Banff Academy and Buckie High School were identified for their outstanding skills and knowledge in the STEM subjects.”