Hubbell (Scotland) is the Scottish branch of the global Hubbell Group. Based in Glasgow, it employs 173 people, with an annual turnover of £35 million. It’s a world-leading supplier of electrical equipment to some of the most hazardous environments on the planet, including North Sea oil installations and refinery operations in the Middle East.
In May 2014 the Hubbell team contacted West College Scotland after reading an article in the Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce magazine. They wanted the College to deliver a bespoke training programme to staff, with a view to improving productivity while also providing professional development opportunities for employees. But they soon saw that West College Scotland could offer more than that.
Peter McGinty, Production Manager of Hubbell Scotland, takes up the story:
“A member of the Faculty of Business and Technologies came to our offices in Hillington along with a Business Development Executive from the College. This was the first in a series of really good discussions and the start of a fruitful relationship, which also involved senior management from Hubbell (Scotland) visiting the College’s campuses at Paisley and Clydebank to view their engineering facilities.
The initial training was excellent, allowing us to build internal capacity. It was meaningful and relevant to our employees. But it soon became clear that the College had much more to offer.
“At Hubbell (Scotland) we saw the benefits to the company of apprenticeship training and, working with West College Scotland, we have now introduced Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) in Engineering and Sheet Metal Fabrication. This is a direct result of our relationship with the College.
“We’ve come to recognise the benefits of engaging with our local college to support our training needs and to help us build and support a highly motivated and professional workforce.
“The College has a clear strategy to building long-lasting, two-way relationships with employers. Their training is specific, meaningful and tailored to suit the needs of individual companies.
“We know from feedback that the College has also benefited from its relationship with Hubbell (Scotland) and that through regular visits to our manufacturing facility they’ve been able to understand advanced manufacturing techniques and adapt their training accordingly.”
To see what the College can do for your business, contact us at corporate@wcs.ac.uk