Brexit will impact on aerospace

I was delighted to visit Chevron Aircraft Maintenance at Prestwick to see round the business and meet some of their apprentices.

It takes a long time to train as an engineer and hands- on experience is crucial to getting a license, which is one advantage of an apprenticeship.

I spoke with one young trainee, Lisa and, as an advocate of encouraging more girls to take an interest in science and engineering.

It is great to see more young women coming into the industry.

There is huge demand for aircraft maintenance and overhaul services, and the new hangar space planned for Prestwick through the Ayrshire Growth Deal should help the aerospace campus to go from strength to strength.

Of course, Brexit will have significant ramifications for our local aerospace industry and economy.

For maintenance, repair and overhaul ( MRO) services it is critical we stay in the European Aviation Safety Agency as it is EASA part- 145, that allows them to release a plane as safe to fly in the EU, and engineers are licensed under part- 66.

If we leave EASA, companies could

Philippa Whitford only do MRO work for UK airlines, not European airlines, which would take away an entire market.

I was honoured to open the ‘ Vicky Smith Training Room’ at the Troon Lifeboat Station.

Vicky was a crew member who tragically lost her life to cancer at just 28 years of age.

Having known Vicky and her family since she was a young girl, it was particularly moving to be part of the ceremony.

As well as being a training centre for Troon and surrounding RNLI stations, it also hosts an exhibition charting 147 years of Troon’s history as a lifeboat station.

I will have two surgeries in the lcocal area later this month.

My next drop- in surgeries will be on Friday December 14 at Prestwick Community Centre from 9.30am to 10.15am.

This will be followed by a surger y later that morning at Symington Village Hall from 10.30am to 11.15am.