Left to Right Joe Loftus, Director of Services, MCC; Jo-Anne Gaughan, Training Co-Ordinator Shell IRL;Jim Quinlan, ECITB Trainer Holland Training Ltd; Lee Bridson, Training Co-Ordinator Shell IRL;Maura Lawless, CRTC Centre Manager MCC. Photo © Tom Campbell.

Castlebar Regional Training Centre (CRTC) facilitates the workplace training needs of public and private sector employees in the West and Midlands. CRTC is one of five regional training centers coordinated by the Local Authority Services National Training Group (LASNTG). Mayo County Council are the lead authority and they have grown their centre consistently over the past few years. They now deliver approximately 5,000 training days per annum and have a turnover in excess of €1,000,000. CRTC recently began delivery of Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) Accredited Mechanical Joint Integrity (MJI) training courses. The ECITB is the statutory skills body for the engineering construction industry in the UK and has international operations supporting clients in 18 countries. ECITB works closely with employers to attract, develop and qualify engineering construction personnel in a wide range of craft, technical and professional skills and disciplines supporting the development of engineering and project delivery skills across the energy, processing and construction sectors. CRTC has just recently been approved as an ECITB Approved Training Centre. ECITB approval allows these advanced technical training programmes to be delivered locally which in turn creates and maintains jobs and offers savings to companies who otherwise would have had to send personnel to the UK or Europe. The objectives of this suite of MJI training courses are to train and instruct learners in the prevention of liquid or gas leaks at joints in piping and high pressure tubing systems. The method of training and validating of skills covers isolations, dismantling techniques, inspection of components, and alignment techniques as well as assembly and tightening techniques in specialist joint assemblies. These courses represent a new departure for the Training Centre in that they offer learners entry into the technical skills competence area. The courses are open to skilled and non-skilled entrants who upon successful completion of the courses will achieve an internationally recognised qualification. .Recently Shell Ireland had a number of employees attending these courses in Castlebar meeting the mandatory training standards for their roles in line with general requirements of the oil and gas sector among other sectors. Other companies and industries working in utilities, water, manufacturing, chemical and renewable energy are potential customers for these courses and can benefit from this accredited training. The Regional Training Centre in Castlebar will become a leader in delivery of these training courses nationally. Training provided at the CRTC is to the highest standard. In addition to ECITB accreditation, the facility also holds accreditation from SOLAS, QQI, and City & Guilds. Recently the centre has been named as the outright winner for training and development by the Public Sector Magazine, Excellence in Business Awards 2015. For further information or training requirements, contact the Centre on 094 904 7672, mlawless@mayococo.ie or check www.lasntg.ie.