Ayrshire College has officially launched its Scottish Wind Technician Education Centre (SWiTEC), supported by an additional £280,000 investment from the Scottish Government’s Offshore Wind Skills Programme.
The Centre was launched at Kilwinning Campus during a Clean Growth Round Table, delivered in partnership with North Ayrshire Council.
The event brought together representatives from the Scottish Government, industry, education and the public sector to discuss Ayrshire’s clean growth potential, identify shared priorities and consider the skills and workforce development needed to support future investment.
Established in partnership with leading Norwegian training provider Energy Innovation and with support from the Energy Skills Partnership, SWiTEC combines Ayrshire College’s vocational education expertise with proven, internationally recognised wind industry training.
The Centre will create new pathways into the onshore and offshore wind sectors for full-time students, people not currently in employment, education or training, those transitioning from other industries and individuals already working within energy, engineering and associated supply chains.
During the round table, the Scottish Government announced an additional £280,000 for Ayrshire College to deliver a major offshore wind training programme through SWiTEC.
The investment will directly support 100 learners, including 50 full-time students and 50 learners from just transition and supply-chain backgrounds. A further 150 learners will be supported through employer and complementary funding streams, creating training opportunities for up to 250 people in total.
Energy Minister Stephen Gethins said:
Scotland's growing offshore wind sector offers a generational opportunity for high-quality, well-paid employment across the country in a wide range of roles.
These projects highlight how the Scottish Government is responding to the skills needs identified by industry, working with employers and training providers to create clear pathways into offshore wind while helping people across Scotland put their knowledge and expertise to work in the sector.
With funding through our Offshore Wind Skills Programme, these projects will enable more people to secure good, well paid, long-term jobs and realise the wider economic benefits of our journey to net zero, as we build a more secure and more affordable energy future for Scotland and for Europe.
Angela Cox, Principal and Chief Executive of Ayrshire College, said:
Ayrshire has a significant opportunity to become a leader in clean growth, creating skilled jobs, attracting investment and delivering lasting benefits for our communities.
The launch of SWiTEC marked an important milestone for Ayrshire College and for the region. It demonstrated what can be achieved when education, industry and the public sector work together with a shared purpose.
We want industry to help shape what comes next. By working together, we can build something distinctive in Ayrshire and the west of Scotland that responds to economic opportunity, supports a just transition and opens new pathways for people across our communities.”
Frank Emil, Chief Executive Officer of Energy Innovation, said:
Our partnership with Ayrshire College brings together the best of vocational education and industry.
By combining the College’s educational expertise with Energy Innovation’s wind industry experience and GWO expertise, we can develop the Scottish Wind Technician Education Centre into a centre that delivers strong vocational skills alongside the internationally recognised GWO qualifications required to work in today’s wind industry, both onshore and offshore.
Together, we are creating training that responds directly to the needs of industry and gives learners the skills and qualifications they need to pursue careers in this growing international sector.
The Clean Growth Round Table provided an opportunity for Ayrshire College and its partners to listen directly to employers, better understand industry priorities and identify where further collaboration, investment and support will be needed.
The discussion also supported the ambitions of the Ayrshire Energy Masterplan, which covers East, North and South Ayrshire and sets out a strategic energy vision for the region.
Insights gathered during the event will help shape the College’s next phase of clean growth activity and ensure that future education and training provision continues to respond to the needs of learners, employers and the wider economy.