24th June 2016
Queen’s award-winning manufacturer and industrial training provider, AIS has signed an agreement with industrial lifecycle support services partner, Bilfinger Salamis UK to operate and manage its Aberdeen Skills Centre.
The agreement will see significant investment by AIS in a new training facility and a wide range of new industry-approved technical, safety and skills training and competency assessment courses. The deal is expected to create a number of new jobs in the future.
It is the latest investment for AIS in Aberdeen, which opened a £1m Innovation & Competency Hub in Westhill last year to help develop and promote new innovative products and services for its Aberdeen client base in the oil and gas sector.
The current Bilfinger Salamis Skills Centre, located in Bridge of Don, has been in operation for over ten years, successfully providing practical and class-room based, safety critical training, such as Working at Height, to meet Bilfinger Salamis exacting standards for their own offshore workforce and those of its clients.
Bilfinger was keen to form a strategic alliance with a leading and independent training provider with a shared passion for delivering a broad range of high-quality, relevant and effective training that meet industries foreseeable needs.
Under the recently-signed agreement AIS Training will take over the current Skills Centre with a plan to relocate to a brand new fit-for-purpose facility featuring modern premises and cutting edge technologies. AIS will provide skills training in disciplines such as Welding & Fabrication, Rope Access, Rigging, Scaffolding and Fabric Maintenance.
AIS will also enter into a five year TMS contract to manage all elements of Bilfinger Salamis’ staff training requirements throughout the UK.
David Hall, Business Support Director at Bilfinger Salamis said: ‘’AIS Training has been a Bilfinger Salamis-approved vendor for many years and has extensive experience in the oil and gas, energy generation and industrial sectors. The company offers an extensive range of training courses which will elevate our existing training provision to a new level and increase Bilfinger Salamis’ profile with clients.
“AIS Training is planning to invest significant capital into increased training capabilities which is fantastic news for business and the local community in Aberdeen. This strategic partnership will help Bilfinger achieve our strategic aspirations for growth.
“AIS Training currently operates four locations across the UK, with plans for further expansion. This will enable our staff to be trained at their nearest training centre, reducing unnecessary travel. As well as their centres throughout the UK, Bilfinger Salamis will have access to the AIS Innovation Hub in Westhill, Aberdeenshire for client demonstrations, conferences, product launches and inductions.’’
AIS managing director, Paul Stonebanks OBE said: “Bilfinger Salamis is one of AIS’s long-standing customers. We are absolutely delighted to strengthen our relationship with them and privileged to be identified as the best provider to service Bilfinger Salamis’ training requirements over the next five years. This TMS contract is one of several long-term training contracts we’ve secured in recent months and is testament to the hard work of our team as we continue to fulfil our ambitious plans for sustainable growth of our business.
"We currently train 25,000 delegates per year. We have the capacity to comfortably train up to 70,000 delegates across our four UK locations. Our on-site and international training capabilities are also expanding rapidly.
“Further investment in Aberdeen in this new independent Skills Centre is a clear indication of our commitment to the region and to the oil and gas industry, which is part of our heritage. We want to develop this facility significantly, to open it up to all customers across more diverse sectors. We are anticipating additional jobs will be created as we further develop our Aberdeen customer base.”
