ETZ Ltd has been awarded £4.5million towards the delivery of Scotland’s first dedicated Advanced Manufacturing Skills Hub.

The award is from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund.

ETZ is partnering with North East Scotland College (NESCol) and partners across industry to deliver the project.

The Hub will be created within the Skills Campus of the Energy Transition Zone, which will be located at the College’s Aberdeen Altens Campus.

A recent study by Skills Development Scotland predicted an additional 8,000 job openings in welding and fabrication and, with ScotWind developers expected to begin construction in the coming years, these type of employment opportunities are set to increase and be in high demand by the energy industry and this site will ensure there is the capacity in the region to deliver the training and skills necessary for people to take advantage of these opportunities.

This additional funding toward the Hub will accelerate its creation and the net zero skills required to capitalise on these opportunities.

The plans include:

• New Technologies Demonstration and Teaching Facility: A flexible teaching and demo space with new equipment showcasing future green technologies and skills to students, visitors and the community;
• Welding and Fabrication Academy: Modernised workshop showcasing innovative practices, with flexible welding booths and augmented virtual reality welding zone for students and commercial clients;
• Utilising dilapidated industrial space in proximity to the college campus, which will allow a wider array of courses linked to net zero for both full-time and part time students;
• A learning and sharing space for the local community groups to access;
• A model ‘industrial lab’ concept. This will be the provision of a mobile manufacturing skills lab that can be used to engage regional schools across the STEM syllabus. The intention is that the labs would be net zero to demonstrate clean fuel technologies (eg. hydrogen buses or lorries as a platform). The concept if successful could be rolled out across Scotland;
• The Hub will be a net zero exemplar in terms of the building configuration and will use modular accommodation to provide the onsite teaching and social spaces and be used to promote the principles of circular economy construction.

NESCol Principal Neil Cowie said: “We are delighted that our Aberdeen Altens Campus will be home to the Skills Campus and the new Advanced Manufacturing Skills Hub. The funding award will serve as a catalyst for the ambitions of the College and our partners to develop the regional infrastructure required to underpin the opportunities presented by energy transition.”