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Opportunities in Offshore Wind Energy Presented at Motherwell College Symington Group Guest speaker, Ronnie Quinn of the Crown Estate, presented the latest lecture for the Symington Group. The Crown Estate is the body which takes responsibility for land once owned by the Crown, generating revenues each year for Parliament. This encompasses the seas around our shores as well as areas stretching into the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. In Scotland, the lead in Offshore Wind Energy is Ronnie Quinn and he was delighted to accept an invitation to speak to Engineering staff and students about Britain’s current position in Offshore Wind Electricity Generation, and the job opportunities this generates. In an hour long lecture, Ronnie explained that the UK was a world leader in Offshore Wind Generation and this is expected to increase with figures due to be disclosed within the next few weeks. Job opportunities fell into two main areas, developing new Wind Farms and the maintenance of existing equipment. The long term future for anyone engaged in this industry was good, with the financial reward considerable. The session concluded with a question and answer session. An impressive number of questions were forthcoming and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks from Stephen Heggie and a presentation from the Head of Engineering, Danny Shearer. Ronnie has since thanked the College for the reception he received at Motherwell, commenting on the quality of the students that the Engineering Section was attracting. And with more than 70 people in attendance, the latest Symington presentation has been another successful and inspiring event for staff and students alike.
Blantyre Soccer Academy Team Up with Motherwell College Blantyre Soccer Academy launched a partnership with Motherwell College to recruit young students who are studying sports. Working with the students, the Soccer Academy will assist in mentoring them through their coaching skills and SFA badges. The partnership will allow students to work alongside experienced coaches, gaining both the knowledge of the game as well as developing their social and communication skills by working with the children within the Academy from the age of 3 to 11. The Academy has previously found this to be a tried and tested method. Over the past year, they have worked with young volunteer coaches from the local high schools and colleges, many of whom have went on to achieve their SFA coaching badges and more recently been honoured at the prestigious Saltire Awards ceremony for their work within the voluntary sector. Lesley Craney of Motherwell College, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to show exactly what they can achieve and also giving something back to the community”.