Advanced skills boost for manufacturers

Hundreds of workers across the West Midlands are being given the opportunity to upskill thanks to a new initiative by The Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology (IoT).

Companies can now access specialist training for members of staff aged 19+ on one of three Level 4 technical courses in Automated Machining, Robotics and Quality Assurance.

The £500,000 In-Work Skills pilot, which will be delivered at the Marches spoke of the IOT at In-Comm Training in Telford, is free of charge and can be completed part-time and in modules giving both staff and employers complete flexibility.

Topics have been chosen to reflect the changing needs of industry as they look to take advantage of new opportunities in advanced manufacturing and greener technologies, including the march towards electrification.

“Brexit and Covid has placed a lot of financial pressure on businesses and, in some cases, training budgets have been cut, meaning employees and bosses are missing out on vital skills development,” said Bekki Phillips, chief operating officer at In-Comm Training.

“The In-Work Skills pilot has been designed to bridge this gap and will give manufacturers access to high quality Level 4 technical courses at no cost to them.

“They will be delivered by our industry trainers, with content developed in conjunction with technical partners, such as the Engineering Technology Group and Bauromat. Employers will also have a big say in shaping the focus, so it gives them exactly the skills they need to become more competitive and to win new business.”

All courses are Level 4, enabling individuals to access a higher level of training and will be delivered one day per week over a three-month period. Individuals will have to complete assignment-based examinations to ensure they have the necessary knowledge and understanding of the specialist topics, including modern machining methods, key principles of six sigma and robot cell design.

Bekki said: “This is a great opportunity for individuals to learn new skills that will future-proof their career and potentially support future promotion opportunities.

“The blended learning, a mixture of face-to-face training and online supervision, means it is really flexible and it is rare that such a high-level programme can be completed without too much time taken away from the day job.”