A career in aircraft engineering has taken flight for Ayrshire school pupils.
School pupils from Prestwick Academy have swapped the classroom for the hangar, as they secured apprenticeships with GE Caledonian.
Arianna McLean, Sam Robson, Ben Stewart and Calum Wolfe have all soared in a school-college course with Ayrshire College.
Now they are set to embark on a new career at the huge firm based near Prestwick Airport.
The pupils signed up for The Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) course at Ayrshire College which was offered up as a subject choice for S5 pupils alongside their higher subjects.
The course has been running since 2019/20 and has resulted in 16 pupils gaining apprenticeships. Pupils spend two afternoons per at the College's Ayr Campus as part of the course.
Alistair Aird, curriculum manager for aeronautical engineering at Ayrshire College, said: “Since the programme started, more and more pupils at Prestwick Academy have started to show an interest and apply for the course.
“The relationship we have developed with the school is excellent, and the candidates we have had each year have been of a high calibre. It is testament to their hard work that so many of them have had opportunities for employment in the sector too.
“The lecturers who deliver on the programme, Gordon English and David Stark, have also been instrumental in helping it become the success that it has.”
GE Caledonian bosses have also praised the course.
Aidan McIntyre, Apprentice Co-ordinator at GE Caledonian, said: “This type of course is absolutely crucial to ensuring school pupils have the necessary technical and meta skills to prepare them for positive destinations within industry. It is clear that progress is being made within Ayrshire to bridge the gap between full time education and employment.”
Another student, Mason McFarlane, has been successful having studied the Prestwick Academy PEO last year. Mason is now on the NC Aeronautical Engineering course at Ayrshire College.
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