3 July 2024
Fife College recently hosted the graduation ceremony for the latest cohort of students from a pre-apprenticeship course, delivered in partnership with Fife Council and Historic Environment Scotland (HES), aimed at addressing a critical skills gap in the construction industry.
The course centres around an NPA: Construction Crafts and Technician qualification and employability skills and, alongside others like it, is hugely valuable to Fife College. These courses not only highlight the strength of our partnership working — a cornerstone of the College – but they provide students with unique opportunities to develop the necessary skills and attitudes to secure quality, long-term employment. The continued success of this course shows the vital role partnerships play in improving educational experiences and positive career destinations.
A career in traditional building skills may not be an obvious choice for most people entering the construction and maintenance sector but, in Scotland, there’s a high demand for these highly skilled workers. Fife College, alongside our partners, is giving students the opportunity to forge good careers in this niche but crucial area. The course equips students with invaluable skills in traditional building techniques, ensuring that they’re ready to meet the demands of the industry and plug the current skills gap.
Karyn McGhee, Craft Skills Programme Manager at Historic Environment Scotland, said of the programme and its delivery:
“HES has provided the funding and supports the programme through working in partnership with Fife College and Fife Council, as well as supporting the inclusion of the ‘historic environment’ element of the course.
“Fife College runs the delivery of the qualification, with the students spending part of their week at the College working towards that. The students then spend the rest of the week working with Fife Council, who co-ordinate the programme, developing vital employability skills and also working with employers to gain real work experience.
“The success of this course is a testament to the collaboration of expertise between all three partners, the employers and a hard-working group of young people”
Brian O’Donnell, Project Co-ordinator for Employability and Skills, Fife Council said:
“One of the key strengths of this type of programme is that, by having the organisations work together, we can pool together our capabilities and resources to support the students in their career progression and help them on to positive destinations; be that employment or further study.”
During the 16-week course, students worked closely with employers, gaining practical experience in various traditional building techniques. This hands-on approach, combined with theoretical learning at Fife College and Fife Council, ensures that graduates are well-prepared to enter the workforce.
Dennis Savage, Assistant Vice Principal at Fife College, said:
“We understand the value of programmes like this one, both for what they offer our students in the way of developing crucial skills for long-term, quality employment and as a demonstration of what can be achieved through strong partnership working.
“I’d like to congratulate all of the graduates on their hard work and achievements, and we wish them all the best as they move onto an exciting new stage in their chosen career pathway.”
