BLACKWOOD TRAINING ACADEMY
Ayrshire-based training provider, Blackwood Training Academy, is a Plant and Health & Safety training and testing facility. Operating from premises in Stewarton, it is fully accredited by CPCS and NPORS.
Originally launched to address the skills gap within the industry, as well as to invest in the future workforce, Blackwood has recently seen a sharp rise in the number of people looking to re-train.
Those wishing to become plant operators have switched from a wide range of sectors including retail, catering, security and hospitality, with many predicting a more stable and long-standing career in the plant sector.
Blackwood offers a wide range of courses from one day to ten days, including CPCS, NPORS, Scottish VQs moving from Red to Blue tickets, EUSR and SiteRight. The company welcomes all skill levels from absolute beginners to those requiring a refresher course. Single day assessments are also available for those wishing to secure valuable accreditations.
As the only CPCS-accredited training provider in Ayrshire, Blackwood is the place to go for this ‘gold standard’ qualification which is accepted by 95% of construction sites and seen as mandatory on most Tier 1 sites.
Blackwood also offers NOCN-assured HFR Plant Proximity Safety courses – the first training facility in Scotland to do so. The course ensures individuals are both comfortable and confident operating the Human Form Recognition system which uses AI technology for pedestrian detection and alerting. This Safety Shield Global initiative provides collision avoidance systems without the use of tags, sensors or radar, relying instead on cameras which are trained to detect the human form.
This demonstrates that Blackwood continues to invest in the latest technology, be it for ease of access by its customers, or the use of smart systems and digital innovation to improve safety, visibility, efficiency and control on site.
The hope is that by reviewing site behaviour, unsafe habits are changed for good.
In addition to its training facility, Blackwood’s plant hire arm, Blackwood Plant Hire, also operates from Ayrshire and can boast a standard of service and quality of equipment which is second to none. A versatile fleet of over 500 machines is available for self-drive or with a fully trained certified operator, and with depots from Inverness to Aberdeen, the hire of specialist equipment for construction, infrastructure, civil engineering and groundworks projects across Scotland has never been easier.
Behind Blackwood’s marketing is Axia Create, working as an extension of the team to turn the business’s ambitions into a clear, consistent presence. Regular time on site gives Axia direct access to the people, projects and developments that shape the story. That understanding informs everything from website design and brochure production to photography, video and campaign planning, ensuring the communications reflect the business and the people behind it.
For Blackwood Training Academy, Axia brings these elements together through coordinated campaigns spanning social media, email, website content and print. Course information, instructor expertise and investment in facilities become useful, engaging content, with clear routes to enquire or book. Alongside planned activity, the close working relationship allows Axia to respond quickly to available course spaces, new equipment and everyday achievements, while tracking engagement and enquiries to guide future marketing.
“Spending time with the Blackwood team makes all the difference. You see the investment, the knowledge and how much people care about what they do. Our job is to bring that to life and make it easy for someone to take the next step, whether that’s booking their first course or training a whole team,” says George Glen, Client Director / Founder of Axia Create.
Looking ahead to 2027, Blackwood Training Academy is aiming to extend its reach across Scotland, building relationships with more employers and helping more people develop the skills to work safely and confidently. The focus is on growing a trusted training offer that responds to what the industry needs, while retaining the personal approach that has shaped the Academy so far.
“We’ve put a lot into building the Academy, and we’re ambitious about where we can take it next. There’s a real opportunity to support more people and businesses across Scotland. Having Axia working alongside us helps us get that story out there and reach the people who could benefit,” says Paul McCormack, Managing Director of Blackwood.
For more information on available courses, www.blackwoodtraining.co.uk
For further information on Blackwood Plant Hire and the machines available, visit www.blackwoodplanthire.co.uk
