New HETA facility will sharpen offshore and refinery skills

One of the region’s leading training organisations is ready to equip workers to work in potentially explosive environments following completion of the latest phase of investment.

Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA) has secured accreditation to deliver CompEx training at a newly built facility in its centre at Foxhills Industrial Estate in Scunthorpe.

The facility was constructed by HETA apprentices after the company allocated £70,000 to improve its skills provision for the major oil, gas and chemical companies. The project takes the total investment in developing the Foxhills centre to nearly £1 million, with the initial £900,000 programme supported by Humber LEP’s “Growing the Humber” programme, funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, and two local authorities.

Foxhills opened a year ago and work began on the CompEx project in June. Apprentices carried out the work under the direction of Colin Jackson, a HETA electrical instructor and assessor who spent 30 years working offshore with BP.

Colin said: “Completing this project is a great practical achievement by the apprentices and provides us with an important new facility. CompEx certification is a must for anyone hoping to work in the offshore and refinery sectors.”

The new facility was licensed after a visit to Foxhills by JTL, owners and operators of the CompEx scheme which is recognised as the global competency scheme of choice for the major oil, gas and chemical companies who want to protect their workers and their capital assets. CompEx was introduced in response to the recommendations of the official report into the Piper Alpha disaster, which killed 167 men in the North Sea in 1988.

Martin Jones, JTL’s CompEx operations manager, said: “There are only three CompEx centres in the Humber area and it is unique that apprentices have been given the opportunity to install this facility under the close direction of the centre staff.

“The availability of CompEx training introduces young learners to a new aspiration, in their local area, beyond their apprenticeship framework qualification.”

Iain Elliott, chief executive of HETA, said: “Our apprentices demonstrated their skills in building the new facility and they will be able to benefit from it in the future, but this is also a new training centre for adult engineers who are fully-trained in other disciplines but who need a CompEx certificate to work on offshore and refinery projects.”

Further information:

Phil Ascough, 07944 123352.

Picture details

From left: Colin Jackson and Martin Jones at the new CompEx facility.