Recruitment events are being held in East Ayrshire for 20 community-funded apprenticeships in a pioneering £1.5 million investment aimed at former coal-mining areas.
The roles are with Cumnock-based Emergency One, which manufactures specialist fire and rescue service appliances.
An initiative between the 9CC Group, the charitable organisation co-ordinating windfarm benefit funds across nine East Ayrshire communities, East Ayrshire Local Employability Partnership and Emergency One has provided more than £1.5 million funding over four years for 20 trade apprentices.
The investment also covers equipment, including personal protective equipment, and wraparound support for the duration of the four-year course, the 9CC Group noted.
Ayrshire College will be the training provider, working with Emergency One to offer qualifications covering engineering, coachbuilding, electrical, fitting, welding and spray-painting.
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The employment opportunities are part of the 9CC Group’s commitment to deliver lasting legacy benefits to former coal-mining communities.
Community benefit fund investment from Brockwell Energy has allowed the Strategic Area Fund Pilot to financially support the recruitment at Emergency One.
Successful candidates must live in the Cumnock and Doon Valley area of East Ayrshire.
Careers days are being held today at 12:30pm at Doon Valley Academy, on Thursday at 12:30pm at Burns Academy and in the first week of July at Emergency One to select candidates and offer placements for school-leavers.
Stephen McCarron, chief officer of the 9CC Group, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to deliver a lasting legacy for our communities by funding local employment and creating career opportunities for our young people.
“We are delighted to be able to use £120,000 of the community benefit funding from Brockwell Energy to deliver part of our strategic objectives and help ensure that our area is one where people want to live, work and play.”
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Chester Smith, director of Emergency One, said: “The grant funding from the 9CC Group will support the recruitment of 20 apprentices and continues our strong tradition of recruiting and training trade apprentices from the local community.
“They will learn traditional trades like fitters, coachbuilders, welders, painters and electricians, with many of them also trained in the low-carbon skills sector and supporting our drive towards net zero.”
He added: “As producers of the world’s first fully-electric pumping appliance, we want to continue our innovation and develop new skills within the local community. We see the apprentice programme as having a positive impact on our business, helping to strengthen our skills base and ensure we continue to produce the very highest-quality fire appliances available anywhere in the world."
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The four-year course, beginning in August, is the first Ayrshire partnership using windfarm community benefit money to provide local jobs through employability schemes, the 9CC Group noted.
David McDowall, head of economic growth at East Ayrshire Council, said: “For years the Cumnock and Doon Valley areas have served the whole country as an energy powerhouse, first with coal, and now with wind-powered electricity. It’s great to see that local people are now reaping some of the benefits of this contribution to the national economy with an injection of local funding.”
He added: “The best way to make lasting change with benefits for everyone in our communities is to work with people, local businesses and education to create positive opportunities which build on the solid foundations of existing organisations and partnerships.
“Working together and building on existing expertise can grow and strengthen our local economy, and anything we do now to invest in our young people will only enhance future prospects for individuals, our economy and local prosperity.”
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