Member Article

AIS launches new £1 million renewable energy campus on North Tyneside creating 12 jobs

A a new state-of-the-art renewable energy centre has been launched on North Tyneside which is expected to attract thousands of potential workers for the fast-growing wind sector.

The new £1 million campus, which has been developed by AIS Training, will deliver all the specialist safety and technical skills training required for the global wind industry and is accredited by leading industry bodies including RenewableUK and the Global Wind Organisation.

12 new jobs will be created at AIS as a result of the project.

Julian Brown, chairman of RenewableUK, officially opened the new centre in front of more than 70 business and education leaders from across the North East and from the UK wind industry.

Purpose-built within a 6,000 sq ft industrial unit, the new centre features a 15 metre long climbing and rescue platform with 12 stations incorporating vertical fall-arrest safety systems, a mock nacelle and three technical engineering areas.

These facilities recreate the field conditions found on real wind turbines enabling AIS to deliver realistic skills training and ultimately ‘work-ready’ personnel.

The centre also includes three state-of-the-art classrooms equipped with the latest Wi-Fi enabled IT systems and a central relaxation area.

Julian Brown said: “The UK is a world-leader in offshore wind and I’m sure this cutting-edge facility will help to further strengthen our excellent reputation in the global arena.

“It’s fantastic to see AIS investing such a considerable amount in the ongoing development of skills and competencies for the wind sector.

“This centre will help ensure the wind industry continues to set high health and safety standards and has access to a much-needed pool of highly-skilled talent. It is a great example of industry working together with RUK to provide standards and accreditations through world-class training.”

The campus sits alongside AIS Training’s existing 150,000sqft offshore training complex so that delegates will be able to get all the mandatory skills required by the wind sector including sea survival, emergency evacuation and boat transfer all in one location. Delegates will also have access to AIS’s new hotel and restaurant.

AIS is expecting to train around 17,500 delegates annually from all over the world at its state-of-the-art training village.

Managing director at AIS, Paul Stonebanks, said: “Our new renewable energy facility rivals the very best in the world and puts the North East at the forefront of skills and competency training for the global wind energy sector.

“At AIS we are seeing massive customer demand for well-qualified wind industry professionals as a result of new offshore wind projects such as Dogger Bank and East Anglia One.

“Our new custom-made facility enables us to accommodate this increased demand and help plug industry skills shortages.”