An artist’s impression of Talgo’s new AVRIL UK train, that could be seen on some of Britain’s future High Speed Railway lines.
Fife College has very much welcomed the recent announcement that Fife is to be the new home for Spanish company Talgo, who plan to build their UK high speed train manufacturing plant in Fife – bringing an investment of £40 million and 1,000 new jobs to the region.
The College, was delighted to hear that the decision had been made to build the new 70,000 square metre plant at Longannet and sees this an exciting opportunity to upskill and re-train people in the area to provide a pipeline of engineers and innovators to meet the needs of the new plant.
Nicky Inglis, the College’s Director of Engineering, Energy and Mathematics said: “This is very exciting news for Fife and the wider economy and we are delighted that we were able to play a part, alongside a wide range of partners, in helping to secure this deal for Fife.
“In the next few years, Talgo will be looking to employ people with a wide range of skills including advanced and digital manufacturing, engineering, STEM and rail related qualifications. This will provide fantastic opportunities for our students and school leavers, for those who have been made redundant, and for others who are looking to change or advance their careers.
“Transition training opportunities will also be pivotal, as will up-skilling and re-skilling - Fife College will work closely with Talgo and the supply chain to ensure that organisations have the required pool of talent to dip into and that the appropriate skillsets are available when required. This will ensure that prospective employees are job-ready and able to contribute positively from the very first day that they are employed. Fife College will also aim to provide a ‘one stop shop’ for Talgo and their supply chain’s training and workforce requirements.
“To ensure our students are ready to apply for jobs in the new plant we will be refocussing areas of our curriculum to tailor the training required, from Foundation Apprenticeships in schools through to our Modern Apprenticeships and Higher level qualifications - what an exciting time to be learning in Fife!”
Jan Thomson, Director of Business Development at Fife College added:
“At Fife College we have a long and successful track record of providing tailored training to companies throughout Fife and beyond. We train the highest number of Modern Apprentices in the country and have vast experience of delivering workforce development solutions throughout Scotland.
“As a college we are also committed to being innovative in building upon our commercial activities to benefit the local and national economy. We look forward to ongoing discussions with Talgo and our partners to look at how we can continue to support this exciting future investment for Fife.”
