This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Training Scots for the future
21/06/2002
An Optoelectronics Training Centre was officially opened
in Livingston today. The new venture is expected to deliver
relevant, practical training to those working in the $147bn
global Optoelectronic industry.
Speaking at the official opening, Minister for
Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Iain Gray told
industry leaders that having a workforce that is trained
for the jobs of the future can deliver real benefits for
their business and Scotland.
The Minister said:
"The Optoelectronics industry, like so many others,
depends upon the innovative exploitation of cutting edge
research. In Scotland, we are already ahead of the game in
this respect, with world-renowned research being produced
in our universities.
"However, if we are to achieve our vision of a
Smart, SuccessfulScotland then we need to get this world beating
research out of our labs and into our businesses. This can
be achieved, but only if our workforce has the skills
suited to the evolving needs and changing demands of
industry.
"If every Scot is to be ready for the jobs of tomorrow,
then they have to be trained properly and have the
necessary skills to succeed. This tremendous new facility
here in Livingston will ensure that in the field of
Optoelectronics, Scottish companies have a real chance to
compete against the best in the world.
"It is for other sectors to follow their lead."
The Minister later visited the premises of one of the
partners involved in setting up the centre, Alcatel
Optronics UK, who have already made a commitment to use the
new training centre for their staff.
The Minister said:
"Partnership between the public sector, academia and
business is at the heart of the Executive's strategy for a
smart, successful Scotland and today's event is a superb
demonstration of this principle in action".
The Optoelectronics Training Centre is a joint project
between the Scottish Advanced Manufacturing Centre (SAMC),
Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothians, and Alcatel
Optronics UK Ltd.
SAMC is a unique partnership between the
academic institutions of West Lothian College and Napier
University, facilitated by Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh
and Lothian (SEEL), and sponsored by Industry.
Scotland has a long history as a centre of excellence
for innovation in optoelectronics. This can be charted from
the invention of the television and facsimile, through
development work which enabled large area liquid crystal
displays (LCDs) to be produced. Latterly, Heriot-Watt
University built the world's first fully optical computer
in the 1990's.