Scotland’s Enterprising Spirit - whisky industry case studies
Commitment to Developing Skills
Heriot -Watt University's International Centre for Brewing and Distilling
The International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD), at Heriot-Watt University, is world-renowned for preparing graduates for work in the industry.
In 1983 honours degrees in brewing were introduced at Heriot- Watt. Today Heriot-Watt is the only UK centre for brewing-related studies and offers undergraduate and postgraduate (Diploma and MSc) courses in Brewing and Distilling and also offers short courses on brewing technology.
Students complete modules that include environmental biology, chemistry, toxicology and pollution biology, statistics and production management, quality assurance and control and commercial aspects.
Funding from the whisky industry has allowed graduates like Sara Barton, to study with world-class facilities at ICBD. She said: "I'm a Heriot-Watt graduate and am now running Brewster's Brewery in Leicestershire. The facilities and training at ICBD are top-class - in the brewing world it's tantamount to saying you've been to Oxford."
Glenmorangie named learndirect 'Learning Employer of the Year 2004'
Glenmorangie has invested in development by establishing an award-winning training centre at Broxburn. They launched the industry's first state-of-the-art whisky bottling CD ROM, revolutionising its production process and training of its West Lothian workforce. The brewery has developed an e-learning training package which enables employees to learn how to change parts on a whisky labeller machine without halting the production process.
In an industry where many different labels are required for different whisky bottles, the whisky labeller machine is a complicated piece of machinery which needs to have its parts changed manually. Glenmorangie identified a need to up-skill employees for this and reduce downtime in this crucial element of the production process.
Staff can access the course at any time of the day or night, seven days a week, regardless of shift patterns which in turn benefits the company by eliminating gaps in the training process.
Glenmorangie's Training and Development Manager, Morag Mathieson said: "This dedicated training package has enabled employees to be brought up to speed very quickly and cuts downtime by over 60%. Developing the skills of our workforce has resulted in increased productivity and a high retention of staff."
The Glenmorangie Company has dedicated training facilities at all its sites in Scotland in the form of Learning Centres which are also open to employees' friends and families.
Naturally Sustainable
Caithness Heat and Power Ltd. Partnership
This initiative has the potential to be a flagship wood-fuel project, both throughout northern Scotland and the rest of the country.
Inver House Distillers (owners of Pulteney Distillery), Highland Council and Pulteneytown Peoples Project have set up the Caithness Heat and Power Ltd. Partnership. The company, formed in December 2004, will implement a project proposal for a £6m wood fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Wick.
By 2007 the project aims to be providing affordable heat to 500 households in the Pulteneytown area of Wick, an area of marked social deprivation, while producing 1.5 - 3 MW of electricity for sale via the local electricity distribution system.
This project will be achieved on two phases:
- Phase 1 will provide heat from a wood fuelled combustion boiler sited adjacent to the Pulteney Distillery and heat from the distillation process itself. Some of the steam generated will be used by the distillery with the heat to the houses derived from a combination of intensified waste heat from the distillery and steam directly produced by the wood chip boiler.
- Phase 2 of the project will be a combined heat and power (CHP) system providing 3MW of heat for the district heating scheme and 3MW of steam, generating up to 1.5MW electricity for sale.
Graham MacWilliam, Distilleries General Manager, said: "We're delighted to be launching Scotland's first bio-mass fuelled heat and power scheme. Compared with fossil fuels, wood-fuel creates much lower emissions.
"Integration with Pulteney Distillery is key to the success of the scheme as the distillation process can utilise thermal energy generated in the CHP process. Primary energy costs will be reduced by around 50%, greatly offsetting production costs in times when energy markets are extremely volatile.
"In the longer term the project intends to provide heating to several public buildings including the hospital, schools and hotels."
Community Spirit
Diageo Foundation supports Govan Initiative
The Diageo Foundation, set up by global drinks giant Diageo, has been helping to secure higher skilled, and higher wage employment opportunities for disadvantaged people in Glasgow.
Focusing on secondary school pupils, school leavers, unemployed, people on incapacity benefit and ethnic minorities, Diageo works with local development agency Govan Initiative, to support people from under-invested communities across Glasgow to gain new skills and access new employment opportunities.
Diageo Scotland has provided financial support and direction in particular to The Hills Trust Learning Academy, a subsidiary of the Govan Initiative. Through partnerships with schools and other youth initiatives based in Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) areas, the project has pre-vocational training opportunities for S3-S4 school pupils and Modern Apprenticeship programmes for S5 pupils and unemployed 16-19 year olds.
An average of 100 students per annum access training directly at the Hill's Trust Learning Academy. Over 300 students have attended the facility since it opened in April 2002 and over 55 per cent have gone on to secure employment.
The Diageo Foundation works in three areas - it works with unemployed or disadvantaged people to help them find work, supports Diageo's businesses and employees in community activities and focuses on environmental and humanitarian activities.
News Archive