The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) today announced that it will be offering 30 recent STEM graduates from across Scotland, the chance to work with its engineers and researchers as part of a new scheme aimed at helping those who are struggling to find work due to the economic impact of the pandemic secure employment.
The scheme, funded by the Scottish Government’s £25 million National Transition Training Fund (NTTF) and developed by the NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy, will provide those taking part with on the job training and the opportunity to build in-demand skills relevant to the worlds of digital and advanced manufacturing and engineering over a six-month period.
To bolster the programme, NMIS is also collaborating with small and medium sized manufacturing businesses across Scotland, giving some of the graduates the opportunity to work and learn with potential employers.
The NMIS Manufacturing Skills Academy has been awarded £1.45 million from the NTTF and is developing a series of virtual training opportunities to run alongside the graduate scheme. The training will focus on the in-demand skills sought by employers in growth areas of the economy such as digital and net-zero.
Speaking about the training and graduate scheme, John Reid, Chief Executive Officer at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, said: “The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland is about the future of manufacturing and skilled-people are vital to us transforming the productivity and competitiveness of the companies within the manufacturing and engineering community in Scotland and beyond.
“Through the graduate training scheme and working with colleagues in industry, the University of Strathclyde and other academic institutions, our Manufacturing Skills Academy is set to provide those who are dealing with or facing redundancy, or who are struggling to gain employment following graduation, in the hardest hit manufacturing industries, such as aviation and oil and gas, with meaningful training, which will help bolster CVs and hopefully lead to employment opportunities in growth areas of the economy.”
Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, which operates NMIS, said: “Strathclyde prides itself on producing graduates with the skills, knowledge and experience that employers are looking for.
“This new training scheme will help to give recent graduates from across Scotland the opportunity to apply their knowledge, gain valuable experience and fulfil their potential in the context of business need for Industry 4.0 skills.
“It is an excellent example of how NMIS is helping to strengthen the engineering and manufacturing sector in Scotland and across the UK and comes at a time when skilled individuals will be especially required to help support Scotland’s economic recovery from Covid-19.”
For further information on the programme and to apply for the graduate scheme visit www.nmis.scot
