Old hand upskills

When Geoff Smith began working in the engineering trade 30 years ago, things were very different.
On-the-job training was the way to gain skills and experience, and once you had "done your time", you considered your learning was complete.
But advances in technology have meant that to be an effective team leader of young trainees, you need a thorough knowledge of the latest techniques. Geoff Smith, employed by Mouat Engineering, went back to Polytech in March this year to make sure that he continues to keep on top of those skills. "I've been with Mouats for 11 years, but when I went to the scholarships presentation evening in February with our apprentices I realised that it would be a good idea to upskill myself as well."
Geoff's son Stacey was one of the young apprentices awarded a Page Acorn scholarship earlier in the year. Encouraged by this and also by his employer at Mouat Engineering, David Greer, Geoff successfully applied to the Acorn Foundation for a Page Acorn engineering scholarship. He has now begun training towards a Mechanical Engineering certificate.
The Page Acorn scholarships were set up by Acorn donor Pat Page, who wanted to honour her late husband Bob Page in a meaningful way. Bob Page co-founded Page & Macrae Engineering in 1953 and was passionate about supporting young apprentices to become skilled in the engineering trades.