Equal gender split aim on engineering course
A manufacturing engineering course at Paisley’s West of Scotland campus has incorporated an equal gender split between male and female pupils.
It is the first time that the college has not only incorporated pupils from across three local authorities in one group but actively seeks to make it an even split on the course.
The Level Six NC in manufacturing engineering course was designed specifically to cater for the future.
The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland Group is located within the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) in Renfrewshire.
With a world-class facility right on the college’s door step, course leaders recognised there is and will be a shortage of highly trained and capable engineers and technicians.
However, with the two-year foundation apprenticeship being offered exclusively at the Paisley campus, its aim will be to combat that task and encourage more young men and women to pursue engineering careers.
The course is designed to mimic the first year of an engineering apprenticeship and offers multiple progression routes available to the pupils should they be successful in completion – including progression at college to study the HNC, securing a modern apprenticeship or progression to university.
The group made up of five female and four male students from Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde, will cover a range of topics such as CAD for Engineers and CNC Machining.
Lee Coutts, assistant principal of technology and skills, said: “We are thrilled to be able to introduce this exciting new foundation apprenticeship at our Paisley campus.
“With the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) right on our doorstep, the programme will offer students the opportunities to learn new skills that are in short demand.
“It is an exciting new programme and we look forward to working with our partners to deliver this for our students.”
Last year, 12 of the cohort of 15 progressed to the next level of study with two going on to study HNC, one pupil progressing to Strathclyde University and a further nine securing apprenticeships with a range of organisations including BAE Systems, Chivas, Aggreko, Ministry of Defence, AFRC and WGM.
We are thrilled to introduce this exciting new foundation apprenticeship at our Paisley campus