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Free Engineering Courses Boost Businesses
04/02/2008
You learn something new everyday. And if you have been at work for a number of years you will have amassed a wealth of knowledge about your work, your workplace, its processes and best practices.
Now, The University of Derby is giving local people, currently working in technology and engineering, the opportunity to turn those experiences and expertise into qualifications, and to expand that knowledge base into new skills by providing free courses.
The free courses are being funded through the East Midlands New Technology Initiative (NTI) and the European Social Fund, and run by the University of Derby’s Learning Through Work scheme. The short courses, usually four days long, aim to improve skills in high performance engineering.
The courses have been designed to focus on manufacturing processes and technologies being used in many businesses in the area, and introduces employees to new ways of working and the latest equipment.
More than a dozen courses are planned for February and March 2008 including AutoCAD 2 and 3D design, learning to use AutoCAD software and its engineering drawing and design functions applications. Click here to view list of courses.
The Lean and Agile Manufacturing Systems four day course is aimed at engineers, operational managers and decision makers in small and medium sized businesses. It will cover the ability to make a critical assessment of the current operations in your business and develop new business systems.
The courses are open to employees of large, medium and small businesses in *Objective 3 areas and particularly welcome women working in engineering firms.
Course organiser, Mike Briggs, Learning Through Work tutor and coordinator says this is a great opportunity for local businesses to identify its employees skills and build upon them: “During our working lives we absorb so much knowledge and achieve a tremendous amount of learning that goes unrecognised. These courses will top-up that learning and enhance it with cutting edge technology. We are giving businesses the opportunity to capitalise on that, give staff the chance to stretch those skills and for the company to benefit from reviewing hands on, the latest technology.
“A typical candidate could be someone who has been working on an engineering production line in a company that is considering investing in a new piece of kit. The course can give the employee a taste of that technology and introduce them to new skills that will be of huge benefit to their business.
“Lean engineering is proven to give businesses the understanding to improve their methods, cut costs and enhance quality – whether it is a better use of a production process, or a new look at human resources and the use of manpower.
“Candidates may be, for example, mid twenties and perhaps missed out on further/higher education. This scheme and the related courses opens the door to higher education and dispels the myths that universities and colleges are all about book learning and theory.”
Daryl Fletcher, who has worked at Mansfield based supplier to the European aerospace industry, Glenair UK as a milling chargehand for three and half years, has completed ‘Applications of Rapid Manufacture'. He was both surprised and delighted with the short three day course: “Brilliant! I never realised that coming to University would be so interesting and engaging. I always thought it would be loads of reading and writing and sitting through stuffy lectures. I was amazed at the way teaching was carried out with working with blogs on the internet before I even arrived, so I was already up to speed. Definitely going to do some more after this short course.”
*Objective 3 areas cover the whole of Great Britain with the exception of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, South Yorkshire, Merseyside, West Wales and the Valleys.
High Performance Engineering
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