Chancellor Opens Gorbals Skills Academy

Glasgow’s new Construction Skills Academy was opened by the Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The Chancellor took time out from dealing with the worst economic downturn in a generation to tour the facility and meet some of the young people who are preparing for careers in the building trade. The Academy is based at the former St John’s Primary School in Gorbals.

Short courses started running in August 2008 and 266 training places will be provided during the academy’s first year. Once fully operational, up to 400 individuals a year can be trained. Among those targeted will be people who are not in employment, education or training, including the 16-24 year old age group, many of whom have left school and gone into short-term employment or have not yet entered the employment market.

Mr Darling said: ‘This academy is really important, especially at a time like this when things are slowing down. Now, it’s all the more important to make sure we have the right skills and training. In Glasgow, there are tremendous opportunities in the construction industry as we work towards the Commonwealth Games in six years’ time.’

During his tour of the academy, Alistair Darling met Jennifer Breaden, 18, from Cardonald. Jennifer achieved five highers while she was a pupil at Lourdes Secondary and is working towards an SVQ level 3 in plumbing. Jennifer is the only female plumber taking the course. She told the Chancellor that she was following the same career path as her dad, also a plumber, and that she intends to set up her own business once she has learned the trade.

As well as offering training in skills such as joinery and plumbing, the academy has an outdoor area where students can learn how to handle heavy plant such as JCBs. There are distinctive Nissen huts in the yard where training can continue in poor weather conditions.

Coffee Day In Gorbals Library

Gorbals Library and Learning Centre raised £271 for the Macmillan Cancer Support charity with an all-day coffee event.

Tea, coffee and cakes were all contributed.

Margaret Cawley who enjoyed a cup of coffee with her Mum, said: ‘We are really happy to support this charity. They do a wonderful job in helping people who suffer from cancer.’

Irene Turnbull, Library Manager said: ‘I thank all the people of Gorbals who attended and gave so generously to this worthy cause. A special thank you to library staff  for all their hard work in making this event such a huge success.’

This is the 18^th year of the Macmillan annual Coffee Morning. Last year 325 people from Glasgow raised a total of £90,000. This year it is  hoped to raise more.

Kirsten Bruce, Fundraising Manger for Glasgow said: ‘Everyone who takes part is helping us raise the money to provide vital local cancer services-and they also have a great time. Our coffee morning hosts always enjoy their events. I’m sure this is one of the reasons it’s still so popular after 18 years.’

Nautical College Flooded

A burst water main in Crown Street, Gorbals, flooded the nearby Glasgow College of Nautical Studies (GCNS) in Thistle Street and left it closed for six days.

The burst was caused by contractors on a site opposite the college shortly after 9am.  When Strathclyde Fire & Rescue arrived they had to rescue a man who had become trapped in his car.

They then tackled the college which was severely flooded. Water had entered the plant room which holds the water treatment chemicals for the swimming pool.

The whole ground floor and basement of the building was affected and included the gymnasium and the lifts.

It took several days to pump out the flood water and to repair and test the electrical equipment that has been damaged

The Thistle Street campus has 8,000 students with 250 staying in its Hall of Residence. Fortunately the student halls were not flooded and did not have to be evacuated.

As Richard Speight, Acting Principle at the Nautical College said: ‘This has been very distressing and a great inconvenience both for the staff and hundreds of students. We may have to move some classes to other colleges on a temporary basis and some will be cancelled until we get things back to normal. This is the first time this has happened at the college.’

At the height of the flood, Adelphi Street and Albert Bridge were closed.

Water supplies were affected in Gorbals, Rutherglen, Oatlands, Carntyne, Dennistoun, Royston, Port Dundas, Firhill, Possilpark and Springburn. But by 5pm the water supplies had been restored.

Jim Hassan, Regional Manager for Scottish Water said: ‘Our engineers isolated the burst on a 24 inch main which happened when external contractors were working in Crown Street. This work was not being done for Scottish Water. The engineers were on site immediately to shut off the affected pipeline and redistribute the network.’

The total cost of the clean up operation and who will pay for it, is still being investigated.