Opening of New Training Centre, Perth
John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary of Finance and Sustainable Growth, will today officially open the new £5m Training Centre developed in Perth by SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy).
The Training Centre provides operational and development training for all parts of SSE, including electricity generation, electricity and gas networks, home services, energy efficiency and electrical and utility contracting. It enables people to train in the types of environment in which they will work, providing a realistic experience in a safe, controlled setting.
In addition to the facilities being available for operational employees, the Training Centre provides a central location for all other employee training requirements, such as management training.
During a tour of the Training Centre, the Cabinet Secretary will be given practical demonstrations of some of the operational equipment used for training purposes and will have the opportunity to meet some of the apprentices currently undergoing training.
The Centre, which was developed in a former warehouse, is designed to be flexible and in due course will provide facilities for training in new areas of work such as smart meter installation.
Over 2,000 trainees are expected to pass through the Training Centre each year. In 2010/11, SSE expects to recruit around 200 school leavers, trainees, graduates and apprentices in Scotland, all of whom will benefit from the new facility.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said: “This £5 million state of the art facility will make an important contribution to improving skills and training – something which is at the heart of our efforts to secure and sustain the economic recovery underway in Scotland.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to open the centre, which will train over 2,000 staff a year, including 200 Scottish school leavers, trainees, graduates and apprentices this year.
“SSE is investing in the future and I welcome the company’s continuing commitment to providing reliable and sustainable energy.”
Jim McPhillimy, Group Services Director of SSE, said: “High quality training is good for the people receiving it, for the organisations that employ them and for the economy as a whole. Our new Training Centre is a state-of-the-art facility which will help add to the skills base in SSE and in Scotland. It is a very worthwhile and exciting development.
“Our core purpose is to provide the energy people need in a reliable and sustainable way, and this Training Centre will be critical to helping us deliver on that commitment.”
