A senior oil and gas engineer has been named as the new Regional Chair of the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board.
Mitch Crichton, who is Project Delivery Director for WorleyParsons, in Aberdeen, will take up the honorary position. The role will focus on the upstream oil and gas industry in the North-east of Scotland with a view to upskilling the workforce to ensure that it meets the challenges of the future.
With more than 25 years’ experience in both upstream and downstream delivery, Mitch will ensure that ECITB’s regional activities are consistent with the board’s strategy to work with industry and stakeholders on skills development in the region. He will also establish a network of senior industry figures to both support and lead regional and local initiatives that will engage with employers, clients, trade unions, funding partners and agencies.
Brought up in Motherwell, Mitch began his career at Motherwell Bridge, a well-known manufacturer and installer of tanks, vessels and heat exchangers. He joined AMEC in Aberdeen as a Project Engineer in 2003, working his way up to Senior Project Engineer, before joining Petrofac in 2006, and rejoining AMEC in 2012. Mitch is now Project Delivery Director for WorleyParsons UK Integrated Solutions (UKIS), overseeing the technical functions of the business and responsible for delivery assurance, processes, systems and people development and deployment.
Having received much support throughout his career from others, Mitch is determined to focus on making sure the next generation has a solid foundation and structure in place to develop further.
“We must demonstrate the importance of competency, training and development needs by setting in place the framework for our upcoming industry leaders who have both the technical ability and behavioural attributes to drive this industry forward for the next 25 years,” Mitch said.
“Making sure the right training is available at the right time, in the right location to support this is very important as is collaboration; if we don’t pool our skills, resources and abilities in the right areas, we risk being inefficient and ineffective. By working together on the right initiatives, we will really support the industry moving forward.
“I see the ECITB role as pivotal to the above, and in my role as regional chair, I want to interact and engage with the industry and ensure the levy is being used in the correct manner so that we create a sustainable future for the basis with the people with the right skills sets and competency to meet the future needs.”
Chris Claydon, Chief Executive of the ECITB, said: “It is vital that the ECITB has a strong regional presence in North-east Scotland and I am delighted to welcome Mitch to the ECITB. His industry experience will be invaluable in identifying and addressing the long-term skills needs of the workforce.”
A Chartered Engineer, Mitch is member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He also holds an IPMA Level D Certification (APMP) and is an APM Registered Project Professional (RPP). He is also on the board of the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA), is Chair of the ECITB Steering Group for Connected Competence and is a member of the ECITB Offshore Project Management Working Group.
Mitch Crichton – ECITB Regional Chair