Manufacturing well trained staff

Citation

(2002), "Manufacturing well trained staff", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 34 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2002.03734aab.002

Manufacturing well trained staff

Manufacturing well trained staff

Keywords: Manufacturing, Skills, Qualifications, Motor Industry

High volume manufacturers across the North East of England are adopting the same approach to training as they do on their production lines, developing staff en masse to gain relevant qualifications.

More than 800 staff have enrolled on a revolutionary programme aimed at improving the skills of the manufacturing workforce and providing production workers with recognised qualifications. The massive training scheme has been developed by the Automotive Sector Strategic Alliance (assa) together with three of the region's colleges to address the skills needs of the industry and provide a convenient way to train busy production line staff.

Already 783 workers have achieved an NVQ Level 2 in Performing Manufacturing Operations as a result of the Accreditation of Manufacturing Staff (AMS) programme and many more are expected to pass the course over the next few months.

Only a pilot scheme at present, the AMS project has already attracted support from companies such as Black & Decker in Spennymoor and Unipres in Sunderland who see it as a way of bringing bottom line benefits to the business.

Calsonic Exhaust Systems in Washington is one of the manufacturers involved and Kathryn Scott is the firm's human resource controller. She said:

In a production environment where lean manufacturing predominates, releasing operators for training is not always easy to plan. However, staff equipped with the latest skills to cope with new technology and advances in working practices are vital to our success, so on-going training is essential. The AMS project interested Calsonic because it provided us with an alternative solution to recognise and reward the efforts of our manufacturing employees that would not disrupt our day to day operations.

With assa overseeing the project and tutors from New College Durham, South Tyneside and Gateshead colleges working inside the companies to observe and guide employees on the job, the course enables staff to gather evidence for what they can do and also identify any areas where further training may be required.

AMS Project manager, Nigel Jones, from assa explains:

Feedback from high volume manufacturers highlighted a desire to develop staff and also to formally recognise experienced workers who do their job well but who may not have evidence of their competence. The motivation that comes from gaining a recognised qualification benefits both employees and the employer and it is a vital step on the journey to encouraging lifelong learning.

Following the success of the pilot phase, assa hopes to extend the project to enrol a further 1,250 manufacturing workers and introduce a residential element to the course which will give new candidates an introduction to production line tools and techniques away from the shopfloor.

For more information about the AMS Project, please contact Nigel Jones at assa. Tel: +44 (0)191 5237476.