Scotland Energy Minister Opens Oil & Gas Learning Center

Fergus Ewing, the Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism opened a new learning center this week which makes practical, classroom and eLearning training available to the regions North Sea oil and gas industry for the first time.

The 3,800sqft Mintra Learning Center at Kingseat Business Park, Newmachar, has capacity to train up to 65 people per day across more than 200 industry-critical courses. The facility, which marks a five-figure investment for the company, provides traditional classroom-based facilities, specialist areas for practical learning and an e-learning centre for invigilated testing, the facility meets the industry’s demand for competency-driven training.

This week the center will deliver OPITO approved electronic Control of Work Performing Authority course, which will enhance Mintra’s blended Control of Work programs, and expects to deliver training to several thousand personnel this year.

“The oil and gas sector is vitally important to Scotland's economy. With more than half of the value of the North Sea's oil and gas reserves yet to be extracted, up to 24 billion recoverable barrels with a potential wholesale value of £1.5 trillion, oil and gas will remain an enormous economic resource for decades to come,” said Energy Minister Fergus Ewing. "Scotland’s Oil and Gas Strategy, developed in conjunction with industry, lays out a plan to help the industry go from strength to strength, and rising capital investment - reaching £8.5bn in 2011 and expected to rise to £11.5bn in 2012 - demonstrates the confidence investors and the industry have in Scotland."

The event follows on from Mintra’s announcement that it has recently secured a number of new training contracts worth £8million. The company is on track to significantly exceed its growth targets in its second year of business.
 
www.mintra-uk.com