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This year, we’re proud to have marked 30 years working locally with clients and candidates across Scotland. Delivering temporary and permanent recruitment services across a range of engineering sectors, our Scottish offices are most dominant in energy sectors such as oil, gas, petrochemical and renewables.
We take a look at the last 30 years of NRL and the energy sector in Scotland.
Setting up in Falkirk
In 1991, Falkirk became the third NRL Recruitment office, as the business expanded into Scotland following a focus in previous years establishing operations in the North East of England. From day one the aim was to become a major recruiter to the energy sector.
The branch was established by Donald Livingston, quickly joined by Mhairi Brown and shortly after by Jim Taylor. Initially the focus was on white collar roles, and in time this evolved to include blue collar. By 2005, NRL had become one of the largest suppliers of trades to the energy sector, regularly supplying 1,000+ skilled workers each week.
A particular area of expertise was developed in the construction of cross country gas pipelines. From St Fergus in the north, to Cornwall in the south - and throughout Wales. NRL worked alongside the major companies involved in developing the infrastructure. This also led us to setting up a new business in 2005, the Pipeline Training Company, which ensured the requisite skills were available to service the industry.
In tandem, Falkirk also established themselves as the leading provider of skilled workers to the offshore fabrication industry in Scotland and worked on many of the major projects carried out for Oil, Gas and Renewables.
Did you know?
Colleagues in NRL’s Scotland offices recruited and supplied a range of technical roles to help build the Queensferry Crossing bridge which opened in 2017.
Delivering Rail expertise from Grangemouth
Identifying an opportunity to expand NRL’s service capability, Jim Taylor was tasked with establishing a new Rail business. With NRL originally providing Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) on Sellafield before expanding into Recruitment services, this move into the Rail contracting world wasn’t the first time the Group had launched a completely new business. Over the years the team at the Grangemouth office have built up a reputation within the industry for providing safety-led ultrasonics, grinding, signalling, and asset inspection services. Opening a new office in Barnsley in 2016, the team now also offer training courses to their clients, delivered in a custom-built indoor training track.
Making the net zero switch to renewable energy
Over the last decade, the team have been busy working with clients to support new clean energy sectors such as onshore and offshore wind.
In particular developing extensive expertise to recruit and manage labour roles across the wind energy supply chain, including supplying hundreds of workers to work on fabrication projects to create the jackets used to house offshore wind turbines out at sea. Whilst also working with clients to identify the right transferrable skills to secure personnel to operate and maintenance this important infrastructure.
Did you know?
NRL were involved in the construction of the Beatrice Wind Farm, the largest offshore site in Scotland. The team onboarded 1,300 skilled contractors to undertake fabrication work.
Achieving an s1jobs award nomination
As the team continue to share their local knowledge and expertise with clients, it was fantastic to see this service acknowledged with an award nomination in 2020. Reaching the finals of the Best Recruitment Consultancy (UK & International Operations) category of the awards, the judges were impressed with the team’s entry which focused on their growing renewable energy expertise, whilst nurturing the personal development aspirations within the team.
It’s this continued focus from the team that has seen colleagues celebrate milestones such as 15 and 30 years with the business. As the team enter their 31st year in the business in a few short weeks, there’s a strong appetite to build on the last three decades and strengthen their support for the exciting renewable energy projects happening across the country.