Engineers from Sparrows Group have been providing support to secondary school pupils as part of a project aiming to encourage the workforce of tomorrow to consider a future in oil and gas. Students from Kirkcaldy and Glenwood High Schools in Fife took part in the ‘Your Future in Energy’ programme which educates teenagers on the skills required to work in the energy industry.
As a sponsor we are a keen supporter of the programme, run by Skills Development Scotland, and some of our employees - Malcolm Costigane, Shaun Falcus, Donald Hodgson, Gavin Scott and Stuart Lamb - all mentored pupils during a series of workshops and seminars. The three-month project concluded with the pupils working together to deliver a presentation on their experiences.
Global Head of Engineering Services, Brendan Forbes spoke at last week’s graduation ceremony where he presented the students with their graduation certificates.
Brendan said: “The students worked extremely hard and showed a real aptitude for the tasks that were set for them and all the feedback has been very positive. Their understanding of the tasks and the innovation used in generating solutions was very impressive. I hope those involved have enjoyed their taster of oil and gas work and that some do consider a career in the industry.
“We need the lifeblood of new people constantly coming into the company at both apprentice level and graduate level, so this offers us great exposure and a chance to tell young people about the opportunities that exist for future careers in the energy sector. It is also hugely important we continue to address any future skills gaps in the industry.
"It also gives us the chance to give something back, and it's rewarding to see how much the young people have taken away from their experience.”
Jane Allan, Sector Manager at Energy Skills Scotland, part of Skills Development Scotland who funded and developed the project, said: "The students who have taken part in this initiative are to be congratulated for their hard work and efforts, but so too are the employers who have played a key role in its development.”
Tom Clark, Managing Director of the Your Future In programme said: “We are very grateful to the Sparrows Group mentors for engaging the pupils whilst being excellent role models for them. The company has been a leading light on how to sustain a commitment to the development of our future talent at a time when many other companies have shied away from the challenge. We are indebted to the whole team for delivering a very high quality programme”.