Our relationship with Prestwick Aircraft Maintenance Ltd gives our students the opportunity to work in a first class industrial environment .
Developing Ayrshire ’ s Young Workforce
STUDENTS and staff BECOME STEM AMBASSADORS
PARTNERING WITH PRESTWICK AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LTD
A record number of our students have gained new positions at Prestwick Aircraft Maintenance Ltd ( PAML ) as a result of a mutually beneficial partnership that sees PAML recruit their new apprentices directly from the College .
PAML is a facility at Prestwick Airport operated by Ryanair to carry out heavy maintenance duties on its fleet of aircraft .
We had a great response to our call for staff and students to become STEM Ambassadors .
We invited college representatives from any STEMrelated discipline to become ambassadors , and more than forty signed up .
Volunteers attended induction training sessions last October at each of our three main campuses in Ayr , Kilmarnock and Kilwinning .
STEM Ambassadors volunteer their time , enthusiasm and expertise to inspire school pupils through workshops and by sharing their experiences .
Many Ayrshire STEM employers are active participants in the STEM Ambassadors programme including BAE Systems , Booth Welsh , EDF Energy , GE Caledonian , GSK Irvine , Hypsec Engineering , NATS Prestwick and Spirit AeroSystems .
The College regularly receives invitations to participate in STEM-related activities from primary and secondary schools across Ayrshire . Establishing a team of STEM Ambassadors allows us to agree to more requests and provide a greater experience to pupils .
There are many ways in which a STEM Ambassador can assist at a school . They deliver practical activities , provide careers advice by talking directly to classes or by joining a class discussion via Skype , take part in a networking event , or support an existing STEM club .
Eleven students from HNC Aeronautical Engineering secured attractive apprenticeships with PAML . Another four students - Dhanyal Baig , Megan Brodie , Cameron Cruickshanks , and Sam Piper - were employed by the company as Trainee Mechanics .
The apprentice recruits for 2016 are Andrew Davidson , Andrew Fulton , David Gracie , Stuart Hastings , Cameron Henderson , Christopher Hill , Jack Leitch , Sam Lewis , Kyle McIver , Fergus Mitchell and Andrew Muir .
The apprentice engineers combine their time between PAML ’ s Prestwick base and our Ayr Campus . The College works with aerospace employers to design courses that are tailored to meet industry needs , and offers engineering students and apprentices first class training facilities at our Aeronautical Engineering Training Centre .
Gavin Murray , Director of Learning and Skills for STEM , said “ It is important that students are equipped with the necessary skills required to work for our industry partners , which is why we work closely with industry leaders such as PAML .”
Our relationship with Prestwick Aircraft Maintenance Ltd gives our students the opportunity to work in a first class industrial environment .
28 The magazine of Ayrshire College