Half of ROV class find employment within a week of completing training.
A subsea training centre has reported an increase in employment of their students, with 50% of one class being employed within a week of graduating. The Underwater Center, Fort William saw half of a recent ROV class employed by leading providers of subsea services to the oil and gas industry, DOF Subsea, following the company’s attendance at an open day at the Center. A DOF Subsea representative attended the open day at The Underwater Center to see the results of significant investment and was impressed with the training and facilities, which has since led to the employment of the students.
The four ex-students have been taken on as Trainee ROV Pilot Technicians, working as the third man in teams of three operating across the Atlantic Region. Colin Mackay, Regional ROV Manager at DOF Subsea said: “During a recent visit to the Underwater Centre I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm and energy of the instructors who were obviously very proud of what they, and The Underwater Center, were achieving. This enthusiasm and professionalism is instilled into the students. DOF Subsea recognises the need for individuals wishing to enter the industry to be given proper professional training to enable them to work in a safe and efficient manner. This was clearly demonstrated by the Underwater Center and resulted in our decision to commit to the recruitment of students from the Center.”
The relationship between the Center and industry is fundamental to ensuring the Center’s training and facilities remain current and relevant, with the aim of further strengthening employment opportunities for future students.This too benefits the industry at a time when a skills shortage has been reported, which raises concerns for a rapidly expanding energy sector.Due to the success and demand of the open day the Center will be holding another one this spring. The open day is an opportunity for key players within the energy industry to view the training and facilities offered by the leading supplier of commercial diver and ROV training. On the day, representatives from the various companies will enjoy a cruise to the Center’s deep dive site, a tour of the saturation diving barge and pier, including, ROV cabins, dive stations, as well as the indoor dive complex, ROV and NDT classrooms.
The Underwater Center, Fort William, which also has a school in Tasmania, is based on the shore of a seawater loch, and is well sheltered by the surrounding mountains. The Center’s unique location allows it to provide year-round training and testing in an open-water environment, whilst still being centrally located in the largest town in the Scottish Highlands. With access to depths of over 100 metres, it is the ideal location to perform realistic and industry specific saturation and air diver and ROV pilot technician training, as well as providing a convenient location for subsea equipment trials. In addition, it is the only subsea training center to provide commercial diver and ROV training in one purpose-built, underwater training site, giving students experience in an environment similar to what can be found offshore.