MB Inspection in drive to provide skilled technicians to oil and gas industry
Twelve young people from ages 17 to 20 are just starting an exciting new career in oil and gas thanks to a brand new apprenticeship scheme developed by leading providers of inspection services, MB Inspection.
As part of a drive to fill the serious shortages of specialist testing skills within the UK and international oil and gas sector, MB Inspection has introduced the apprenticeship scheme, working closely with Forth Valley College and the ECITB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board).
The young men who are from Aberdeen, Coryton, Falkirk and Stockton will begin a three year apprenticeship this week. They will spend 32 weeks working towards SVQ level 3 in Engineering Operations at Forth Valley College. The classroom based elements will be augmented with on-the-job training in non-destructive testing (NDT) at MB Inspection’s purpose-built training facility in Falkirk.
Several of the apprentices have joined the scheme straight from school but others have left jobs in retail or food processing where they had little or no career progression prospects.
Over the three year period, they will gain training and certification in all basic NDT methods; radiography, dye penetrant, ultrasonics and eddy current.
Frank Ross, managing director of MB Inspection is rightly proud of the new scheme. He says: “At MB Inspection we are committed to training and career development. We are also committed to providing highly skilled people to deliver inspection services to our clients.
“This scheme allows us to do both. We are aiming to provide more skilled technicians to the oil and gas industry to meet the increasing demand for skilled inspection of plant and assets, while providing exciting opportunities for young people.
“There are currently only four other NDT apprentices in our industry in the whole of Scotland and they are doing a course that is not as highly technical as the one we have developed. There have been no NDT apprentices in Scotland for at least five years and we are delighted, along with Forth Valley College, to be bridging the gap at long last.”
Sean Brown (20), one of the apprentices from Aberdeen says: “After studying an HND in leisure management, I decided to change career and wanted to get into oil and gas. After some research I found out about the MB Inspection apprenticeship and successfully applied.
“This will be a great platform to launch my career offshore and I am excited about the apprenticeship. I am especially looking forward to the hands-on technical side and particularly to working offshore both in the North Sea and further afield.
“I am interested in corrosion engineering and would love to pursue a career in this field after completion of my apprenticeship.”
MB Inspection employs in excess of 450 staff in Aberdeen, Falkirk, Stockton and Great Yarmouth and is a major provider of engineering, inspections management, specialist techniques, rope access and non-destructive testing services to the oil and gas, petrochemical, utility and power generation industries.
Issued on behalf of MB Inspection by The BIG Partnership. For more information contact Zoe Corsi on 01224 578172 or 07973983243
Posted by Online Data on Monday, December 24, 2007 23:55
Location Aberdeen, Scotland
Category University Notice Board
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