A £2 million legacy for Fife's future generations

Up to £2 million of advanced industrial equipment, tools and workshop facilities have been made available to Fife College to support the training of students in key technical and trade skills.

The donation from ExxonMobil’s Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP) at Mossmorran forms part of the company’s commitment to leaving a lasting legacy for future generations following the end of production at the site in January.

Representing hundreds of individual items, the donation will help the college to continue to grow its training capabilities and student numbers by providing invaluable hands-on learning with the latest technologies.

Jim Metcalfe, Fife College Principal, said: “This generous donation will benefit generations of Fife College students to come.

“The scale and quality of this equipment will enable us to strengthen our industry-standard training facilities, reflecting the realities of the modern workplace and giving our learners the confidence, skills and experience employers in Fife value.

“We are extremely grateful to the team at the Fife Ethylene Plant for their contribution to the community and for choosing to invest in skills and education through Fife College.”

The wide range of equipment will enhance training in electrical, mechanical and instrumentation skills as well as process operations and maintenance, with the workshops and tools supporting a wide range of students and disciplines.

It will also help Fife College to deliver its ambition to meet increasing skills demand in specialist areas including measurement and control, calibration, lifecycle engineering and valve technology.

With many pieces being brand new and originally intended for integration into the FEP operational site, it will give students unique real-world training that can be deployed in a number of industrial settings.

Teresa Cassar, Fife Ethylene Plant Manager, said: ‘’Our team’s skills and knowledge have been the bedrock of FEP for over 40 years, so we wanted to do something that gives future generations the same opportunity to learn and succeed.

‘’While we are sad to be leaving Fife, we hope this donation will continue to support the communities that have supported us during our time here.’’