Highlands and Islands Green MSP Ariane Burgess welcomed to AES Solar, Forres during Scottish Apprenticeships Week
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A politician from Forres praised a local business for its apprenticeship work during a site visit on Monday.
Highlands and Islands Green MSP, Ariane Burgess, was welcomed to AES Solar on Lea Road during Scottish Apprenticeships Week to see for herself how the expanding firm is training its young workforce in the growing environmental sector.
She said: "Small, innovative businesses like AES Solar make a huge contribution to addressing the climate crisis.
"Retro-fitting homes and boosting the variety of renewable energy Scotland generates is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and energy bills.
"AES are a great example of what can be achieved to grow green skills, something that I’m keen to see further developed though this parliamentary term."
Mrs Burgess has lodged a motion to Holyrood congratulating AES on the Queen's Award for Enterprise it received from the Lord Lieutenant of Moray on Monday.
She joined representatives from Skills Development Scotland at AES to mark Scottish Apprentice Week 2023. The event demonstrates how apprenticeships are unlocking potential and helping people develop skills. They also support economic priorities and renewal, including Net Zero ambitions to help Scotland to become a stronger, fairer, greener and wealthier economy. Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships are supporting over 43,000 apprentices and 12,000 businesses across the country. Visit apprenticeships.scot to find out more.
There is traditionally a lower skillset among young people in Forres; something AES Solar’s commitment to opportunity is helping to overcome.
AES Solar has an extensive apprenticeship programme with a 100 per cent retention rate. The company, which employs 33 people, is currently supporting one Modern Apprentice and two Graduate Apprentices. Since 2015, nine young people have been supported and trained to become highly-skilled workers. Within that group, several members of staff have completed multiple modern apprenticeships or gone on to a graduate apprenticeship after completing their modern apprenticeship.
AES Solar Marketing Manager, Hannah Jakobsen, highlighted the benefit of apprenticeships to attracting and retaining young people in Moray.
She said: "We foster youth development through apprenticeships, diversifying the local economy, encouraging young people to stay and create a sense of ambition across the wider community.
"Successful apprenticeships mean we can delegate more roles and responsibilities. This frees up staff in other areas, which increases staff satisfaction levels across the board and means we can provide stronger customer service."
