Three Inverness businessmen have the chance to spearhead a skills centre that would help Scotland be a world leader in infrastructure and construction.

That’s according to Tim Balcon, CEO of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), which is supportive of plans for an industry-led Centre of Excellence for Skills, Safety and Innovation at the city’s Torvean Quarry.

The £28 million initiative emerged earlier this week, with an area notorious as a dumping ground for abandoned and burnt out, rusted vehicles – also popular with walkers and bikers – seen as the perfect location.

Dylan Spink, Jack Howell and Callum Mackintosh are behind the move – forming a so-called Community Interest Company (CIC), known as Highlands and Islands Skills, or Hi-skills – want to tackle the critical skills shortage in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

They believe the centre will redefine how infrastructure, construction, engineering and renewable energy skills are developed in Scotland.

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and the CITB are committed to working in partnership on the initiative in a bid to avoid any duplication or displacement.

Mr Balcon said: “We have the opportunity to do something really special here. By creating this centre, we are creating a skilled workforce for generations to come. This will ensure that Scotland can deliver on its ambition to be a world leader in infrastructure and construction.”

The plans are on the agenda for Inverness West Community Council’s meeting at Charleston Community Complex on Tuesday at 7.15pm. Mr Spink, Mr Howell and Mr Mackintosh are expected to be at the meeting for a Q&A session.

Mr Mackintosh owns Highland Hammer Hire and is the former president of the Scottish Plant Owners Association. Mr Spink and Mr Howell set up Chance Recruitment after working in the energy sector.

Inverness West Community Council (IWCC) has already expressed support for the plans, especially as an alternative idea to Highland Council’s bid for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on the site.

“The quarry closed in 1991 and has lain disused since then,” said spokesperson for IWCC. “It attracts unsightly fly-tipping and even abandoned vehicles around the entrance.
“Whilst the Highland Council is actively seeking tenders to design, build and operate a BESS on the site, residents have already expressed concern about that proposal and IWCC shares their reservations.

“Although the benefit would be a small contribution to grid resilience, it is unclear that there would be any local community benefit. IWCC believes storage would be better built adjacent to generation facilities, away from residential areas, and should be a condition of planning permission for wind and solar farms.
“Hi-skills’ proposal would see the site returned to productive use, delivering tangible benefits to the local community and the wider Highlands and Islands region. IWCC is therefore pleased to support Hi-skills’ Community Asset Transfer application.”

Inverness Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the proposal.

“This initiative couldn’t be more timely,” said chamber chief executive Colin Marr. “If we are to keep talent in the Highlands and attract new people to live and work here, we need to show that there are clear, high-quality pathways into the industries that will drive our future. A Centre of Excellence rooted in Inverness, led by industry and supported by education, will help us do just that.”

Hi-skills wants to build the centre in two phases. Phase one will deliver a modular training facility and associated infrastructure to enable early skills delivery aligned with live construction projects and regional demand. This phase will include external workshop areas, classrooms and practical training zones, allowing training delivery to begin well before the permanent facility is completed. Hi-skills is confident that phase one can get under way within six weeks of site entry.

Phase two, the permanent facility, will be constructed during the first three years and once completed – anticipated by 2028 – the modular facility can then be dismantled and redeployed in smaller parts to other regions as demand grows.

Once up and running, it is understood both UHI and the CITB’s National Construction College will use the facility to support further education courses and deliver specialist apprenticeships.
Courses available at the centre would include wind turbine technician, mechanical engineering, pipefitting and welding, fabrication and welding, general construction operative, and linesperson, plus apprenticeships for plant operator, crane operator, groundworks, civil engineering, roadbuilding, steel fixing and scaffolding.

Hi-skills has started a community asset transfer process, following unsuccessful attempts to buy or lease the site from Highland Council.

A Highland Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the Highland Council is currently considering a business plan with regard to the Torvean Quarry area. The council has also received a community asset transfer request regarding the Torvean area and it will be processed according the council’s community asset transfer processes within The Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 legislation.”