Technical courses launched for furloughed staff

Furloughed apprentices and employees are being given the opportunity to learn new skills thanks to a new package of support from the Training and Manufacturing Group (TMG).

The not-for-profit organisation is working with its technical partners to deliver a suite of world class technology courses to its members, which will help bridge the skills gap, increase R&D and help support the post Covid-19 recovery.

Industry experts Bauromat, Guhring, ETG, Hexagon MI and Ceratizit WNT and business specialists BDO, FBC Manby Bowdler and In-Comm Training have agreed to host the interactive sessions completely free of charge and will cover crucial topics ranging from automation, robot/CNC programming and cutting tools to arc/resistance welding, PLC programming and pneumatics.

They will initially be delivered through short webinars or one-to-one sessions at partner sites, adhering to social distancing rules at all times.

“As lockdown eases and businesses reopen, the TMG are keen to support the UK manufacturing sector through the recovery period ahead,” said Cassie Grillo, business development executive at the Training & Manufacturing Group.

“With a reduction in productivity during the lockdown period and the subsequent financial impact many have experienced, there is a real opportunity to look at updating your processes or broadening the skills of your workforce.

“This got us thinking and, after detailed conversations with our technical partners and our member companies, we have developed a number of upskilling options they can use for apprentices and employees who are currently furloughed.

“Getting the most out of automation, robotics and CNC machining can help to boot productivity and this will be crucial as firms look to recover and lay foundations for getting back on track.”

John D’Angelillo, managing director of Bauromat, is one of the driving forces behind the initiative: “A lot of companies, who have had to furlough staff, are looking at ways where they can boost their own business during a time when demand for services and products are not at their highest.

“The job retention scheme allows employees to train and upskill whilst being furloughed, so the TMG technical partners decided that it would be a good idea to give members a flavour of what you can do and how you can increase efficiencies by being more flexible with skills.

“The idea is to give a taste of other skill bases that could benefit their manufacturing processes, upskill their know-how, or even allow them to consider the benefits of apprenticeships. It’s not to provide in-depth training as this can be done through our training centres, but instead provoke conversation about training and guidance that can then be developed further.”

The Training and Manufacturing Group is a consortium of like-minded businesses bound together by a common vision to improve skills and productivity in the UK.

Its 150 members cover a wide range of engineering and manufacturing sectors from automotive and aerospace to oil and gas and nuclear, with the most recent additions, including Central Fabrications, Gleeson Recruitment, Met Recruitment, MyWorkwear and Select Hardware.

The free training is part of a range of benefits available through the TMG Membership. For £150 per year, companies can access benefits including grants and funding opportunities, a full free legal review, regular newsletters and support with apprenticeship recruitment.