FEATURE
The end result is an outstanding training centre in a totally refurbished and refitted premises at Unit 8 on Newport South Business Park , Victoria Street , in Middlesbrough .
Suspended – Rescue training on the rigging and lifting frame .
decarbonisation and net zero .
“ We ’ re moving more and more into offshore wind , carbon capture and the hydrogen sector and that ’ s very much how our business is growing ,” explains Emma .
“ We ’ re responding to our clients ’ requirements and , naturally , we want to ensure that we offer our customers the very best in the industry .
“ It ’ s about moving with the times . Traditional face-to-face training is still required by the industry and by our customers because most of it is practical safety training , but there ’ s also a strong move towards digital virtual reality training , digital learning , e-learning and software simulators .”
AIS Survivex made its first move into the Tees Valley / Durham area when it teamed up with Vital Fire Solutions – the trading arm of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service based at Bowburn – to train workers in offshore firefighting skills .
Following on from that move , AIS Survivex is now opening its state-of-the-art training facility in Middlesbrough .
Planning started around 12 months ago when a search began for the ideal location .
The end result is an outstanding training centre in a totally refurbished and refitted premises at Unit 8 on Newport South Business Park , Victoria Street , in Middlesbrough .
“ It ’ s early days ,” says Emma . “ We ’ ve just completed a massive refurbishment of the
facility and getting the infrastructure in place in terms of the types of training that we will be delivering .
“ So , for example , there ’ s a lot of building work in terms of the steel frames for rope access and the GWO Framework for working at height . There ’ s a rigging and lifting frame going in so there ’ s lots of infrastructure for the practical training requirements .
“ There ’ s lots of recruitment going on too ,” she continues . “ There ’ s a centre manager who will be working here , we have eight instructors currently so they will be the skilled workforce who deliver the training , and there ’ s administration staff as well .
“ We ’ ve just appointed a dedicated business development manager , Adam Armstrong , and he ’ s been very close to the clients that we currently have and he ’ s making contact with potential new clients to let them know that we are coming .
“ The fact that we moved into the Durham centre first with the Vital Fire Solutions partnership and that we also have another partnership at Newcastle Airport shows that by investing in another centre on Teesside we are fully committed to the area .”
AIS Survivex has been doing its homework in preparation for the move by speaking to a lot of companies it deals with in the region to ensure the Teesside centre covers all the bases when it comes to the clients ’ skills requirements .
The company has a full understanding of the potential customers ’ needs and can tailor the training provision accordingly .
“ Teesside ’ s got a vast offshore workforce which is growing , so the portfolio we offer will be extensive ,” confirms Emma , who says the response from clients in the region has been extremely positive .
“ We ’ ve had fantastic feedback and we feel very welcome on Teesside . A lot of the businesses work with us anyway through the North Shields site but the new centre has given us a closer presence .
“ We are moving into a location that has a very strong presence in oil and gas and the offshore sector , so for us to go in and help the region develop that highly-skilled , competent workforce for now and in the future is a huge opportunity .
“ There ’ s a lot of large-scale regeneration going on , on the banks of the River Tees , and our long-term aim is to continue to support the Tees Valley area .”
For more information about AIS Survivex visit training . aisgroup . co . uk email training @ ais-survivex . com or call 0330 202 0569 .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 159