Primary school children from across the North-east have once again been given the chance to experience life on an oil rig and learn how to operate a crane.
Maersk Training, which provides realistic training for the global energy sector, hosted an education day at its base in Kingswells yesterday (Wednesday, November 9).
A group of primary 7 pupils from Westhill Primary School visited the centre to find out more about the oil and gas industry, safety and training.
The free event included lessons on the day-to-day running of a North Sea platform, basic first aid, team building and communication. The youngsters also had a go on a crane simulator to test their precision skills, as well as a marine simulator to learn how to react to ever-changing weather and conditions offshore.
The Maersk Training education day is now in its second year and is offered to all schools across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Pupils from eight schools will visit the centre as part of this initiative during the current 2016/2017 academic year.
John Abate, Managing Director of Maersk Training Aberdeen, said: “We were pleased to welcome the pupils for a fun and educational day, when they learned more about the oil and gas industry they have grown up with in and around Aberdeen. They will hopefully now be inspired to go on and choose this sector as a career when they’re a bit older.
“We run a range of local education programmes to create opportunities for people aspiring for a career offshore and use advanced simulators and operational experience to provide training that is as true to life as possible. Maersk Training is all about education and training and we believe in creating opportunities for our customers by sharing skills and building competences. By training the individual as well as the team dynamics, we will enable our customers to achieve a safe working environment and increase their operational performance.”
Westhill Primary attended the education day for the second time, with last year’s visit receiving great feedback from all its attending pupils.
Teacher Stephen Flett said: “We really enjoyed our trip to Maersk Training last year and once again found it to be a highly enjoyable and valuable learning experience. The activities were immersive, including real-world experiences such as operating a crane simulator, managing a drilling station and learning about how to perform first aid. It was great to see the students getting a first-hand introduction to what life is like in the oil and gas industry and some of the opportunities available. The students returned keen to find out more and learned a lot in just one half-day session.”
Established in 1978, Maersk Training delivers total training solutions to the global energy market. Its training focuses on seven key areas: oil and gas; survival; maritime safety; wind; crane; and people skills, and ensures a safer, more competent and productive workforce.
Maersk Training’s team of more than 150 highly skilled instructors fulfil global requirements, with simulators providing innovative, immersive learning.
With two local operational centres in Kingswells and Portlethen, each concentrating on different aspects and demands, Maersk Training has grown to deliver high quality competency-based training through one of the broadest course portfolios in the local area.
For more information, visit www.maersktraining.com