APPRENTICE TECHNICIAN SCOOPS INDUSTRY AWARD

College student Mark Wigginton is top of the class after winning a coveted prize from OPITO - The Oil & Gas Academy.

Mark (24), from Haddington, East Lothian, has been named the 2009 Apprentice of the Year by the Aberdeen-headquartered oil and gas industry body.

The award recognises and acknowledges outstanding ability and attitude during the two year college phase of the four year apprenticeship scheme.

Mark is currently training to become an Instrument and Control Technician Technician through full-time study at Jewel & Esk College in Edinburgh, one of four industry-appointed colleges in the UK.

He faced stiff competition from apprentice technicians across Scotland studying disciplines including mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and process.

To mark his achievement, Mark was presented with a shield and a cash prize.

He said: “I am very proud to have won this award. The last 15 months have been fantastic, and have gone a long way to equipping me with the skill sets needed for a long and prosperous career in the oil and gas industry.”

John Fraser, Modern Apprenticeship scheme manager for OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy said: “Mark should be very proud of his achievement, it was a very hard decision for the judges, with all four candidates being exceptional but Mark is a worthy winner who strives to do his best at every opportunity. The Academy wishes Mark all the best for the New Year and the second phase of the scheme.”

The Upstream Modern Apprenticeship scheme is managed by the Academy in partnership with the Engineering and Construction Industry Training Board. Around 100 trainee positions are available annually on the scheme which is open to anyone aged 16 or over and boasts one of the best retention rates in the country with a massive 91% of apprentices completing the course and going on to find employment compared to the national average of 55%.

In the 10 years the programme has been running it has seen over 1,000 apprentices take their new-found talents into the workforce, creating a grassroots solution to attracting & developing a competent and stable workforce for the future.

Operators and major contractors have invested more than £73million of industry money directly to the MA scheme, making it one of the most relevant in terms of equipping the next generation of workers with the range of skills and experience employers need.

More information on the upstream oil and gas industry technician training scheme and OPITO – The Oil & Gas Academy can be found at www.opito.com or www.oilandgas4u.com