Great Britain can compete successfully on the world stage, according to Phil Round, chief executive of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Group Training Associations (GTAs).
Great Britain can compete successfully on the world stage, according to Phil Round, chief executive of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Group Training Associations (GTAs). 'I'm convinced that motivated workforces using the appropriate production equipment and armed with first-class skills can enable UK companies to be global competitors,' he exclaims. With an obvious bias, Phil Round enthusiastically promotes the benefits of continual skills development - in terms of companies' profit margins as well as increased rewards and job satisfaction for their employees - and, unsurprisingly, he vigorously promotes the various training courses available via his organisation, which is a Learning and Skills Council-accredited Centre of Vocational Excellence.

Proudly, he states that the GTA is the largest college provider of apprenticeships in the area.

'The most important thing to remember about us is the fact that we are financed and controlled by local companies - firms of all sizes across various industry and business sectors - and we therefore work in partnership with these companies to develop training courses that are designed to produce maximum benefit for the companies, their employees [the trainees] and the local communities.

'I have no doubt that UK companies, if armed with the correct skills and equipment, can retain their world status - and GTA members like Special Metals Wiggin, Bulmers and Sun Valley Foods consistently prove that!' Much of Phil Round's talk of creating 'world class' employees is based around the provision of an extensive number of courses that are tailor-made to the trainee/partner company, and they include the delivery of NVQ qualifications in engineering manufacture, design, engineering maintenance and engineering production.

In addition to focused courses that cover fluid power (pneumatics and hydraulics) draughting, computer-aided design, welding and fabrication (MIG and TIG welding, plasma cutting) and industrial electrical courses (motor power control and diagnostics, for example), the engineering training centres at both Hereford and Worcester are characterised by impressive 'shopfloors'.

These serve as home to the 200 or so apprentices that all undertake substantial periods of training on turning, milling and CNC machining courses.

The key to success, he continues, is not only dependent on bright and enthusiastic trainees, but it also relies on the use of the correct calibre of equipment.

'And in the case of machine tools, this means utilising machines that are industry-standard and fit for purpose.

'We haveve invested approximately GBP 1 million during the past three years on re-equipping our Hereford and Worcester centres to make them among the best such facilities in the country, and we certainly wouldn't have spent such a sum if we thought that Great Britain was in terminal decline.' Much of that capital expenditure has been invested in machines supplied by Gate Machinery International, the Watford-based specialist supplier that, says Phil Round, 'has played a key role in upgrading our facilities with a superb portfolio of predominantly two- and three-axis turning and milling machines'.

All the machines are of quality build and have high-class specifications, and they include the user-friendly functionality of Anilam DRO/CNC systems - multi-axis control technology that suits all possible skill levels and needs.

'Around 75% of the investment has been made at the Worcester Training Centre, where in the 10,000ft2 of refurbished training workshops and lecture rooms we've replicated our successful Hereford training area,' says Phil Round.

'The new Worcester centre, operated in partnership with Worcester College of Technology, commenced training in March 2005, and could not have come at a better time, since a recent Strategic Area Review confirms manufacturing and engineering as a priority for Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and forecasts that nearly 11,000 new employees will be required locally in suitable disciplines by the year 2012.' With a pot of money and an extensive shopping list, it was vital that Phil Round and his team spent every penny in the most effective way.

'It soon became clear that our budget would go furthest and provide all the machines we required - with no detriment to machine specification and quality - with Gate Machinery International,' he confirms.

'In addition, based on the highly professional way in which the Gate team fulfilled their obligations when we re-equipped the Hereford centre - the machine installation programme was carried out with military precision - coupled with such a high level of back-up and after-sales service, it really wasn't a difficult decision to choose Gate again.' Of highly rigid construction, the Gate Eclipse ECM-1 CNC turret mill exemplifies what Phil Round describes as 'affordable quality' with a high-class specification.

The machine's Anilam 5300 CNC allows both conversational and G-code programming which enables the instructors to fully follow the CNC curriculum.

With a table of 1,067 mm by 230 mm, the machine can accommodate loads of 125 kgs, which is more than adequate for the workpieces processed - predominantly one-offs for the toolmaking and maintenance machinist environments, though batchwork is also progressed.

The machine has X, Y and Z (quill) axes travels of 660mm by 305mm by 100mm complemented by a powered knee travel in Z of 406mm (optional).

Variable spindle speeds as standard are from 60 to 4,200 revs/min and rigid tapping is optional.

Anilam off-line programming software enables the control to be replicated in a classroom environment, allowing programs to be created off-line and sent to the machine via DNC link or floppy drive.

In the event, Gate Machinery International has supplied a total of 31 machines to the Hereford and Worcester centres, including turret and CNC milling, heavy duty and centre lathe capacity, and variable speed and CNC turning machines.

With this armoury of production equipment complementing such a comprehensive training syllabus, Phil Round is justifiably proud of what is being achieved in Hereford and Worcester.

'The area may be regarded by some as a rural backwater,' he concludes.

'But we are leading the way when it comes to utilising world-class equipment and training courses that produce world-class engineers.'