National College for Onshore Oil and Gas awarded £5.6 million funding
9 May 2016
The National College for Onshore Oil and Gas (NCOOG) is delighted to welcome the announcement by Skills Minister Nick Boles of the award of £5.6 million of capital funding. The resources will be used to purchase a full suite of training equipment, enabling NCOOG to offer world-class technical and professional training and education at its headquarters in Blackpool and across its partners, and will also unlock industry equipment donations worth a further £2.25 million.
Colette Cohen, Chair of NCOOG and head of Centrica's UK oil and gas production business, said: "This is excellent news. The vision for the National College for Onshore Oil and Gas is to develop a top quality skilled British workforce to help deliver a national resource in a safe and environmentally sensitive way. This funding will allow us to progress quickly with the establishment of the college and open new exciting training and career opportunities to local people."
Ken Cronin, CEO of UKOOG, the trade association for the onshore oil and gas industry and supply chain, said: "The creation of the National College for Onshore Oil and Gas sets out the ambition of this industry right from the start to commit to training people in this country. I would like to thank all of the partners in this venture for the hard work in getting us this far."
Bev Robinson, Principal and Chief Executive of Blackpool and The Fylde College, said: "The investment in technical and professional training and education is welcomed. The National College will provide a clear route for careers in this emerging industry, supporting the growth of a range of employment opportunities within Lancashire and across the country."
ENDS
Contacts
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Notes to editors
About the National College
NCOOG is jointly supported by government and industry and operates a 'hub-and-spokes' model with its headquarters in Blackpool. Its aim is to train the next generation of onshore oil and gas engineers and other specialists, meeting the onshore industry's future skills needs and providing first class qualifications and career opportunities for young people.
NCOOG brings together the expertise of a number of colleges and universities, together with support from other specialist bodies. The college and university partners are:
• Blackpool and The Fylde College (headquarters)
• University of Chester
• Highbury College Portsmouth
• University of Strathclyde
• Redcar and Cleveland College
Other supporting bodies are:
• Weir Group Plc
• OPITO
• Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
• Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport
The National College will focus on several areas:
• Providing the specialist skills needed by the industry at Levels 3, 4 and 5, or higher and training teachers and regulators.
• Carrying out research and development for improved equipment, materials and processes that will increase the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of operations.
• Working with schools to encourage children to consider careers in the industry, and to help them make the right subject choices early on.
About UKOOG
UKOOG is the representative body for the UK onshore oil and gas industry, including exploration, production and storage. The organisation's objectives are to enhance the profile of the onshore industry, promote better and more open dialogue with key stakeholders, deliver industry wide initiatives and programmes and to ensure standards in safety, the environment and operations are maintained to the highest possible level. Membership is open to all companies active in the onshore industry including those involved in the supply chain.
