College hails apprentices record

By Kevin Keane
Fife reporter
BBC Scotland news website

Babcocks is hiring 50 apprentices a year for the aircraft carrier

A further-education college in Fife has reported a record number of engineering students moving onto apprenticeships.

The Kirkcaldy-based college said it had tripled the number of engineering students in the past two years with the number for 2008 standing at 78.

Many are destined to work on the £3bn project to built two new aircraft carriers at Babcock Marine in Rosyth.

The company has taken on 50 apprentices at its shipyard in the past 12 months with more being taken on next year.

Graeme Ramsay, technical training supervisor at Babcock Marine, told the BBC Scotland news website: "The numbers that we require are around 50 a year so we are relying heavily on the college for making sure that we are getting the correct quality of candidates through for apprenticeships.

We are going to see that in Fife engineering is going to be burgeoning again Kevin Nunn Adam Smith College

"Not only have they provided us with a good quality of apprentices, they've actually been turning out apprentices quicker than scheduled."

Students who have completed engineering courses at the college represent a range of ages.

Lee Corletto, 32 and from Dunfermline, secured a position as a fabricator in the shipyard, currently working on refits.

He will be involved in the aircraft carrier project when work begins.

Mr Corletto said: "Me being as old as I am, it still gives other opportunities for people my age and older to go back to education and get a modern adult apprenticeship."

While the resurgence in engineering has been focused on Rosyth, the college said many other companies are taking on apprentices.

Executive director of engineering at Adam Smith College, Kevin Nunn, said: "With the energy park at Methil there's going to be even more opportunities in Fife.

"With the Forth crossing and even the impact of the Olympics in London, we are going to see that in Fife engineering is going to be burgeoning again."