Prestigious business award goes to Edinburgh College for Inch Cape education partnership
Edinburgh College was named as winner of the Innovation in Business Award at this year’s prestigious Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards for its long-term education and skills collaboration with Inch Cape.
The two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2024, marking the start of a partnership where joint initiatives have embedded real-world offshore wind experience into education, addressing skills gaps and meeting future workforce needs.
The College was awarded the honour at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, attended by 600 guests representing 160 local companies and including business leaders from across the Scottish capital.
The prestigious prize recognises the ground-breaking partnership between the College and Inch Cape, which is creating new pathways for students to begin their careers in the vital renewable energy sector.
The partnership has delivered tangible benefits to learners. The flagship project has been the creation of strategy-based computer game Gen-Sea, which reimagines how school pupils engage with offshore wind careers and promotes critical thinking, problem-solving, and environmental awareness. Other elements of the partnership have promoted:
- Skills development: Inch Cape supplied two virtual welding machines for the College’s Access to Fabrication and Welding (SCP) programme, delivered with East Lothian Works at Wallyford Campus. This investment has transformed practical training, enabling learners to gain industry-standard skills earlier. Notably, 50% of the latest cohort progressed into jobs in the sector.
- Innovation in training: Collaboration with the College’s Robotarium introduced robotics training through programming a robot to build a miniature offshore wind turbine, giving students and staff valuable hands-on experience.
- Strengthening the pipeline: Since 2017, 39% of school pupils engaged in Edinburgh College STEM activities have progressed to college study, with 963 entering STEM subjects. The Inch Cape partnership is accelerating this pipeline into energy-related programmes, apprenticeships, and employment.
Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College’s Principal, says the Award was a well-deserved win:
“A huge congratulations is in order for everyone involved in the partnership between Edinburgh College and Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, after being recognised with an Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Innovation in Business Award.
“What a fantastic achievement, which serves as further proof of the College’s work to create new pathways for students to begin their careers in the renewable energy sector.”
