THE Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) has announced plans to recruit a skills and training lead to help tackle skills shortages and promote careers in the plant industry.
The new position is described as a ‘significant milestone’ for the trade body. The new recruit will have responsibility for engaging with members to increase apprenticeship numbers in Scotland, as well as parents, schools, colleges and DYW to raise awareness of career opportunities.
They will also be tasked with devising training courses and promoting existing upskilling courses such as machine control, and will be responsible for the Tenstar simulator and encouraging members to use it as a recruitment tool.
Additional responsibilities will include identifying funding opportunities, collaborating with industry bodies, addressing member challenges and needs at local and government level with regard to training and careers, and engaging with apprentices at college and in the workplace.
SPOA president John Sibbald said, “We know that there is a skills shortage and that it is difficult to attract young people into the industry as these issues are always top of the list of concerns when we speak to members. The SPOA has made great strides to address this challenge recently with investment in the Tenstar simulator and training, the introduction of subsidised training programmes and a much stronger relationship with the CITB to develop the plant operator, plant mechanic and crane operator apprenticeships.
“However, we believe that having a permanent full-time member of staff focused on skills and training will mean that we can address this challenge more effectively and better represent the plant industry with all relevant stakeholders including industry bodies, card schemes, schools and of course our members.”
The SPOA is hoping to hire someone with a minimum of five years’ experience in industry in a training, operational or other associated plant role and hopes to have the successful candidate in post by August.
A full job description can be viewed at https://rb.gy/bukbxy.
