Perth College UHI welcomes Scottish Government investment for Aviation Academy
Courtesy Perth College UHI
Above: (left to right) Veronica Lynch, Vice Principal – External Relations, Perth College UHI; Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister; Dr Margaret Cook, Principal and Chief Executive, Perth College UHI; Jennifer Thompson-Young, Sector Development Director – STEM, Perth College UHI; Paul Cartmail, Senior Manager Operations, Air Service Training; Gregor Hamilton, Head of Economic Development, Dundee City Council; Mark Taylor, Interim General Manager, Air Service Training.
Within this £50m investment, £40m will support Perth and Kinross Council to deliver the Cross Tay Link Road and £10m for an industrial investment programme.
Perth College UHI Principal, Dr Margaret Cook who welcomed the First Minister’s announcement, also took the opportunity to thank the First Minister for her support for the Aviation Academy for Scotland which is included in the Tay Cities Region Deal Heads of Terms agreement, announced on Thursday 22 November 2018.
Dr Cook said: “Perth College UHI is pleased to be leading one of the Tay Cities Deal projects. The Aviation Academy for Scotland is a partnership between Perth College University of the Highlands and Islands, Tayside Aviation, Air Service Training, Aviation Skills Partnership and industry partners. The Academy will provide specialist training and skills to the global growth industries of aviation, emerging clean technologies and low carbon transport sectors.”
Jim Watt, Managing Director of Tayside Aviation, commented: “Having celebrated our 50th anniversary last year, we are delighted that the plans for this much-needed Aviation Academy can now take flight, reinforcing the excellent reputation which we work hard to maintain year on year.
“Not only will this new facility secure Scotland’s position as the epicentre of worldwide aviation training but provide the skills and training required for the next generation of pilots, air traffic controllers and engineers, all of which are in huge and growing demand across the world.
“With much to be done, we very much look forward to progressing with the plans and collectively providing Scotland with a world-class Aviation Academy of which we can all be proud.”
Simon Witts, Founder and Chief Executive of Aviation Skills Partnership said: “We are delighted to see this proposal for an Aviation Academy for Scotland move closer to reality.”
The Aviation Academy for Scotland will integrate regional, national and international education and training, providing development of a skilled workforce to respond to the global growth of the aviation, renewable and clean energy markets, offering seamless educational routes from secondary school through College, University and into industry.
The Aviation Academy for Scotland, will offer 540 training places over the first 4 years of operation. Its Perth Campus will focus on Engineering and Air Traffic and Aviation Management skills and will co-locate the Engineering InnovationLab, part of the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Partnership, which is also part of the Tay Cities Region Deal. The InnovationLab will provide product development, design and business mentoring and start-up advice to commercialisation of engineering innovations across the Region.
The Dundee Campus of the Aviation Academy for Scotland will be based at Tayside Aviation, Dundee where Tayside Aviation will focus on Pilot and Cabin Crew Training.
