South Scotland MSP Brian Whittle has called for First Minister Humza Yousaf to support his suggestion that funding which had been set aside for the development of the now cancelled satellite factory at Prestwick Airport be funnelled into developing skills and apprenticeships in the area instead.
With the £84 million plan by Mangata Networks to build a new manufacturing plant at Prestwick being shelved by the company, Brian believes the Ayrshire Growth Deal funds which were supporting the plan should be used to invest in supporting Ayrshire College to offer more apprenticeships and create more opportunities for people across Ayrshire to develop their engineering skills.
Ayrshire College was recently told that the number of engineering apprenticeships it would be able to award this year was being cut by over 30%. At the same time, the college has been working with employers across the engineering and construction sectors to deal with rising demand for skilled workers. As part of the Growth Deal, it’s already been working with South Ayrshire Council to create the Aerospace Technology Application Centre (ASTAC), which is specifically designed to train more people to work in the aerospace businesses based around the airport.
Demand for engineers in Ayrshire is expected to grow in the next few years, with planned investments by companies around the airport and the creation of new businesses, like the XLCC subsea cable factory at Hunterston, which is hoped to create around 900 jobs. However, currently, estimates suggest there could be a shortage of around 3500 qualified staff if nothing changes. Brian says the Scottish Government and others involved in the growth deal need to act now to get more people into training and give people across Ayrshire the chance to build a secure, well-paid career here. With companies like BAE systems in Glasgow creating new training facilities, Brian is worried we could see more people leaving Ayrshire and moving to the city for new opportunities.
Responding to Brian’s call during First Minister’s Questions, Humza Yousaf welcomed the constructive suggestion and pledged to explore the idea further.
Commenting, Brian Whittle MSP said:
“We have a wealth of talent here in Ayrshire, but all too often, people are being held back by a lack of access to the kinds of training and apprenticeships they need to build prosperous careers.
Ayrshire has a long history of success in engineering and now we have the opportunity to build on that as companies in growing sectors like energy, renewables and aerospace look to invest and scale up their presence here.
Mangata’s decision not to go ahead with their project was a disappointment, but it also gives us an opportunity to give Ayrshire one of the most skilled workforces anywhere in Scotland and across Europe.
I’m urging the Scottish & UK Governments, as well as all three Ayrshire councils to work together and use this money to invest in skills.”
