The funding has been awarded as part of the ECITB’s £1 million investment in ‘regional skills hubs’.

3t has training centres located across the UK and says the units will be a vital resource to provide training for workers on major ECI projects in areas where there is insufficient training provision.

The ECITB-approved training provider is co-funding the project with £160,000 to build the units and an additional £120,000 a year towards running costs.

The co-investment will create the capacity to deliver hundreds of new entrants to industry, with the units delivering ECITB-approved courses in mechanical fitting, pipefitting and plating to ECI employers across the UK.

ECITB chief executive Andrew Hockey said: “Our labour forecasting tool predicts that the ECI could need thousands of additional workers over the coming years for major projects.

“Without a pipeline of trained, skilled workers, this is at risk of not being achieved, which is why we’re working with industry partners like 3t Training Services to grow the number of skilled engineers and craftspeople we need now and in the future. 

“Our investment in these mobile training units will help increase new entrant numbers in areas where there is demand for upskilling, with the added benefit of being able to move provision to areas where future demand emerges. 

“Consistent with the focus of our regional skills hub funding, the mobile units will be able to support disadvantaged groups to find a route into sustainable employment within the ECI.

“Deploying mobile units to respond to regional demands is an innovative solution to enhance local delivery capability temporarily for ECI projects as they can be used flexibly to support capacity building.  

“We were delighted to support this initiative. We believe these units will be of great benefit to the industry as they can move to meet the needs of employers.”

ECITB regional skills hubs funding is designed to boost training provider capacity and grow new entrant numbers in industrial cluster hot spots and other major engineering construction centres of activity to help address skills shortages in the industry.

Regional skills hubs funding grants of between £50,000 and £500,000 are available to ECI projects that meet set criteria, with 3t the latest to have its proposal approved by the ECITB Board.

As well as being deployed in North-East Scotland, 3t’s new training units could also be used in locations in North-West England, Derbyshire, Humberside and Teesside.

Paul Knowles, vice-president of training at 3t, said: “We frequently work with customers who need training solutions to support major ECI projects in regions with limited training infrastructure.

“Our customers operate across various regions, and their training needs can fluctuate significantly based on the projects they’re involved in. By developing mobile training units, we’re able to respond more effectively to local demand, providing tailored solutions that meet employers’ needs wherever their projects take them.

“We’re excited to strengthen our partnership with the ECITB through this initiative, ensuring that these flexible training solutions are aligned with regional requirements to deliver impactful upskilling programmes.”