Ayrshire College Launches Innovative Future Skills Hub To Empower Students For The Future
Ayrshire College is proud to announce the opening of their new state-of-the-art training facility in North Ayrshire.
The Willie Mackie Future Skills Hub will revolutionise the training opportunities for people of North Ayrshire, and the wider Ayrshire region, by equipping students with the future skills and knowledge to thrive in their careers within Engineering, Construction and Renewables.
The Future Skills Hub has been named in honour of Willie Mackie, the previous Chair of the College Board of Management, who was instrumental in the formation of Ayrshire College which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The Future Skills Hub, situated on Ayrshire College’s Kilwinning Campus, is a commitment to providing students with the best possible education and preparing them for the jobs of tomorrow. With rapid advancements in technology, Ayrshire College recognises the need to prepare the future and current workforce for the changes that will result from the drive to reach Net Zero and adoption of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
The new skills centre enables Ayrshire College to offer vocational training in sustainable and SMART technologies alongside traditional construction trades. This will provide local industry with a workforce that has the necessary future skills and opportunities to upskill their current workforce.
The Future Skills Hub is equipped with the latest industry standard tools and equipment, that will provide students with an outstanding learning experience. Resources include Ground Source and Air Source Heat Pump Technology, Robotics and SMART technologies alongside new construction training facilities.
The investment in this new state-of-the-art facility has enabled the college to enrol its first cohort of Carpentry and Joinery Apprenticeships in North Ayrshire employed at James Frew Ltd.
The Future Skills Hub has been funded through a partnership between Ayrshire College, Magnox Socio Economic Panel, North Ayrshire Council and the Ayrshire College Foundation.
All the partners recognise the importance of inspiring the next generation to choose engineering and construction sectors as their career choice and to provide local people the opportunity to gain the skills required for the jobs available in these sectors.
The Hub will be a dynamic space that will be accessible to primary and secondary school pupils, employers and North Ayrshire residents wanting to learn more about sustainable and SMART technologies being adopted in the construction and engineering sectors. Ayrshire College is also partnering with Scotland’s Innovation Centres to ensure the latest innovations are accessible to local businesses and students through the Future Skills Hub. This investment in North Ayrshire will complement the industry standard facilities and programmes already available at Ayrshire College in South and East Ayrshire.
The Principal of Ayrshire College, Angela Cox, said: “We are thrilled to launch this innovative facility that will inspire our future workforce, enable our current students to excel in their chosen career and support our employers to remain competitive in sectors being disrupted by new technologies. The Future Skills Hub embodies our commitment to providing Ayrshire with the skilled workforce it requires to thrive.”
