4
SPRING 2015
SKILLS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
Apprentice demonstrates
value of the Skills Centre
of Excellence
Dale Dunlop, 18, left Irvine Royal
Academy last year and is now a
Modern Apprentice working at
TPS Weldtech. In his sixth year, in
addition to working towards an
Advanced Higher at school, he
undertook an engineering course at
Ayrshire College.
Dale’s story illustrates the ethos of the
Skills Centre of Excellence and
demonstrates what can be achieved
by schools, colleges and employers
working together.
“I managed to combine a Performing
Engineering Operations (PEO) course
at the College with school work at
Irvine Royal Academy. It worked out
great for me; both the school and the
College were great with the
arrangement and flexible with my
time.
“I was looking through my options at
school and it wasn’t really suiting what
I was good at. I’m a lot more
hands-on than academic. I prefer a
tool in my hand to a pencil.
“So I had a look at the College
website to see what they were
offering. The PEO came up and
through the school and the College I
was able to do both – which was the
best of both worlds. I got to do the
design work at school and came here
for the practical stuff.
“The college offered a lot more
eng