Engineering employers love our PEO. But what is it?

A Modern Apprenticeship forms part of the SDS apprenticeship family. The PEO is a fundamental component of an apprenticeship so completing this course is key to your success. 

If you’re looking at an apprenticeship with an engineering company in Ayrshire, one of the first things they’ll mention is our PEO course.  

It’s the one qualification everyone seems to agree is crucial for a career in engineering. So, what is it? What does it stand for? And why is it such a sought-after requirement? 

Here, for Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2024, we’ll do a deep dive into our marvellous PEO course, with input from students and employers along the way.  

Firstly, let’s spell out what it involves. The PEO course stands for Performing Engineering Operations, and we offer this course in aeronautical, electrical and general engineering formats at Ayr, Kilwinning and Kilmarnock. 

The programme is all about getting you industry-ready by teaching you hand skills. That’s right, it’s a practical course. You’ll be using your hands to work on problem-solving tasks, get used to certain tools, and get stuck into intricate examples of tasks you’ll commonly find in the workplace. 

It’s the perfect starting point for people interested in the engineering industries (including aerospace). It’ll often be referred to as a pre-apprenticeship course, for those who have not found their apprenticeship opportunity yet but are keen to learn the required skills. If, however, you have been successful in obtaining an apprenticeship, this is the first course your employer will put you through, to ensure you gain the hand skills required for their workplace. 

One aspect to consider is that if you're a full-time student undertaking the PEO course and subsequently securing an apprenticeship, the efforts you've invested count towards achieving your apprenticeship. There's no need to repeat the PEO as part of your apprenticeship programme.  

Here are some typical units you’ll work on as part of a Level 5 PEO course:  

Two students currently studying our PEO course at the Kilmarnock Campus are Callum Dowson and Olivia Mackie, who are apprentices with Collins Aerospace on the Performing Engineering Operations (Pre-Apprenticeship) course at SCQF Level 5.  

Olivia, 20 from Irvine, said about the course: “I had already studied NC and HNC Aeronautical Engineering before applying to Collins, but I understand why they made me return to college because the PEO is so hands-on. We’re learning vital skills that we need for a career in engineering. 

“Since starting in September, we've been learning turning, CNC machining, electrical, hand fitting, welding and there's been team building work too. The PEO gets you a step in the door for apprenticeships ahead of other people - it's what employers are looking for.” 

Callum, 16 from Dalry, added: “I enjoy just doing hands-on work and learning new skills. There are a lot of new things compared to doing work at school. It's a broad range of hand skills.” 

Speaking about their apprenticeships more generally, Olivia said: “An apprenticeship means you get hands-on learning while you get paid. People might think university is the best route but it's time to speak up about apprenticeships and the opportunities they give you. It's the best route for me.” 

Callum said: “My mum wanted me to go to university, but I didn't want to get into a lot of student debt – instead I’m getting paid to learn for the entirety of how long most university courses last.” 

We mentioned at the top of this piece that engineering employers routinely sing the praise of the PEO course. No doubt you’ll have heard all about it if you spoke to anyone at our Engineering Employer Fair earlier this year. (There is a similar event with Aerospace Employers taking place 22 March 2024. A booking link for this event will be shared on our socials soon.) 

Here’s just a couple of those employers speaking about our PEO course and why they feel it is the perfect option for young people looking to enter their industry. 

Alison Somerville, managing Director at Dustacco Engineering Ltd and Watermiser Ltd said: “At Dustacco Engineering, we recruit our apprentices from Ayrshire College's PEO course. The course helps develop the underpinning knowledge and practical skills we need our workforce to have in order to help grow our business. We see the PEO course as a fantastic route for a young person to secure an apprenticeship and seeing their skills and experience grow is so rewarding” 

Alan Mathers, Project Director at XLCC said: 

“At XLCC, we view the PEO as the essential underpinning qualification for our engineering apprenticeship and recruit our apprentices from this course. Our new cable manufacturing business, based at Hunterston in North Ayrshire, will support 900 jobs in the future and ensuring our engineers are highly skilled is key to our success. The PEO qualification gives us confidence that our Modern Apprentices have the engineering knowledge and skills to support our growth” 

Marco Castelli, Lead Electrician / Apprentice Training Coordinator said: 

“The PEO course is vital for the manufacturing sector. It allows for students to gain skills in multiple engineering disciplines. As employers, this is beneficial because it gives the students a good idea of what they want to pursue as a career in the engineering sector. It gives a clear pathway for individuals of what they will want to gain an apprenticeship in”.