May 2012:
Awareness in Composites Courses now booking
Awareness in Composites
courses in the East Midlands and the South West are being delivered
by accredited providers throughout May, June and July - scroll down
to book your place now.
These courses take place
over one day and are aimed at non-practitioner staff and new
composite starters at all levels in the organisation.
The courses cover
composites materials and processes, applications, H&S issues,
working around composites materials, handling and damage.
The cost per delegate is
£225+VAT and includes all refreshments and training materials.
"A thoroughly enjoyable
introduction to the importance of composite manufacture and
processes within our industry." Stuart Carter, Skills
Development Manager at Aircelle Ltd
"A hands on and fascinating
introduction to Composites pitched at just the right level. I have
since used the information gained in the course to help me to do my
non-technical role. Absolutely recommended." Michelle
Armitage, HR Manager at National Composites Centre
To book for the following
dates please click on the link to download, complete and return the
booking form:
22nd May
- National Composites Centre, Bristol
12th
June - Hilton East Midlands Airport
13th
June - National Composites Centre, Bristol
17th
July - Hilton East Midlands Airport
19th
July - National Composites Centre,
Bristol
April 2012: Creating the
composites workforce of the future
A year on from its formation the Composites Skills Alliance is
hosting a high profile event to mark the occasion.
The Alliance is bringing together large and small composites
employers, technology providers and training bodies to help shape
the future direction of skills and training in the sector.
The event will be held at the National Composites Centre in
Bristol at the end of April and will feature keynote speeches,
breakout sessions, networking and tours of the host facility.
Keynote speeches from Allan Cook CBE (Chair of Atkins and Chair
of Semta) and Iain Gray (CEO of the Technology Strategy Board) will
highlight the skills demand and solutions in the sector and
government plans for integrating skills into technology policy.
All those attending will have the opportunity to influence the
future strategy on graduate and professional development,
apprenticeships and short courses for industry.
The day will also provide an opportunity to hear the progress
that has been made by the Alliance in the form of new courses on
offer, expanding the geographical coverage of training, accrediting
training providers and most recently in the formation of the
Composites Hub (with partners the National Composites Centre and
Composites UK, the trade body for the sector).
For anyone interested in more information please email helen@composites-skills-alliance.com.
March 2012: Extended deadline for Trainee/
Apprentice award
The Composites Skills Alliance is delighted to be sponsoring the
Composites UK Apprentice/ Trainee Award at an event in May.
The Award will form part of Composites UK's 3rd
Annual Personnel and Training Awards to be presented at a dinner on
10th May in Manchester.
The organisation is accepting nominations for the following 4
awards:
- Outstanding Employee of the Year 2011
- Employer of the Year 2011
- Trainee/Apprentice of the Year 2011
- Health, Safety and Environment Initiative 2011
The deadline for entries has been extended to 13th
April and all information and forms can be found on Composites UK's
website http://www.compositesuk.co.uk/IndustryAwards/2011Awards.aspx.
February 2012: Composites Courses now
booking
A number of succesful
courses have recently been delivered by Composites Skills Alliance
accredited providers and bookings are now being taken for courses
in the East Midlands and the South West.
The Awareness and
Introduction courses take place over one day and are aimed at
non-practitioner staff and new composite starters at all levels in
the organisation.
The courses cover
composites materials and processes, applications, H&S issues,
working around composites materials, handling and damage.
The courses cost £225+VAT
per delegate and include all refreshments and training
materials.
"A thoroughly enjoyable
introduction to the importance of composite manufacture and
processes within our industry." Stuart Carter, Skills
Development Manager at Aircelle Ltd
"A hands on and fascinating
introduction to Composites pitched at just the right level. I have
since used the information gained in the course to help me to do my
non-technical role. Absolutely recommended." Michelle
Armitage, HR Manager at National Composites Centre
To book for the following
dates please click on the link to download, complete and return the
booking form:
14th March, National Composites Centre,
Bristol
15th March, Thistle East Midlands Airport
18th April, Thistle East Midlands
Airport
19th April, National Composites Centre,
Bristol
____________________________________________________________________
February 2012: Composites Skills Alliance
joins partners to form Composites Hub
The Composites Skills
Alliance has joined forces with Composites UK (the trade body for
the sector) and the National Composites Centre, based in Bristol,
to strengthen the composites industry in the UK.
The global composites
industry is becoming increasingly competitive. According to market
experts, the global industry for composites materials is estimated
to grow by 4-6% in the next 5 years. The two sectors that will
drive this growth are anticipated to be aerospace and wind
energy.
Many competitor countries
have recognised the strategic importance of composite materials and
support their companies to develop capability to provide them with
a global comparative advantage. Thus the UK is only likely to
remain competitive by grasping commercial opportunities and
building on the expertise and capability we already have to become
a world class player. In order to do this we need a collaborative
approach and improve joined-up activities. The UK Composites
Strategy highlighted 4 key requirements:
• Leadership and
coordination
• Value/supply chain
development
• Technology
development
• Skills development
The Composites Hub has been
formed to bring together the key national delivery partners to
achieve this.
_____________________________________________________
February 2012: Composites Skills Alliance
present OCVC with their Founder Provider certificate
The Composites Skillls
Alliance joined Oxford & Cherwell Valley College (OCVC) on
stage as part of Autosport International in Januray.
Following the presentations
from the two companies, the Composites Skills Alliance presented
OCVC's Performance Engineering Centre at Bicester as an accredited
centre of excellence for the sector and founding training provider
of the Alliance. The Composites Skills Alliance is a partnership of
employers and training providers committed to working together to
improve the skills of the UK composites industry - a key technology
area for a range of sectors including, automotive, marine and
aviation.
OCVC will act as a central
hub for a range of composites training, and support other colleges
and providers in their course delivery. The programmes run at
OCVC's Bicester Performance Engineering Centre are aimed at
technical staff in the sector and range from 1-week courses to
3-year Advanced Apprenticeships.
There's more on the wide
range of courses available for students of all ages, interests and
skill levels at OCVC via www.ocvc.ac.uk
________________________________________________________
January 2012: Composites Skills Alliance
and OCVC present to motorsport industry
The Composites Skillls
Alliance will be joining Oxford & Cherwell Valley College
(OCVC) on stage as part of Autosport International this month.
OCVC's Performance
Engineering Centre at Bicester is a founding training provider for
the new Composites Skills Alliance and has been accredited as a
centre of excellence for the sector. The Composites Skills Alliance
is a partnership of employers and training providers committed to
working together to improve the skills of the UK composites
industry - a key technology area for a range of sectors including,
automotive, marine and aviation.
OCVC will act as a central
hub for a range of composites training, and support other colleges
and providers in their course delivery. The programmes run at
OCVC's Bicester Performance Engineering Centre are aimed at
technical staff in the sector and range from 1-week courses to
3-year Advanced Apprenticeships. The OCVC team will be presented
with their Composites Skills Alliance accreditation during a
seminar they're leading at the high profile 4-day Autosport
International Motorsport Show (January 12-15) at the NEC in
Birmingham.
OCVC Head of Engineering
Andy Thomas says: "We have an exciting opportunity to create
bespoke composite training packages to meet the needs of the
industry whilst recognising the national skills shortage in this
field. It's a great honour to receive the accreditation as it
recognises the high quality delivery and training that OCVC has to
offer."
The Composites Skills
Alliance was formed by the National Skills Academy for Process
Industries and Semta, the sector skills council for science,
engineering and manufacturing technologies. It aims to develop
training delivery standards to support a growing range of
composites qualifications and courses. Through its training
providers the Alliance develops training courses aligned to
industry needs. OCVC are one of the Founder Providers that have
completed the rigorous accreditation process to be part of this
network. In addition to technical courses the Composites Skills
Alliance recently launched Awareness & Introduction to
Composites courses for people entering the industry or working in
it in a non-technical capacity.
The Autosport International
Motorsport Show features every level of motor racing - from karting
to Formula 1- and with exhibitors ranging from specialist
engineering companies to major manufacturers and everything in
between www.autosportinternational.com/public/about-show
There's more on the wide
range of courses available for students of all ages, interests and
skill levels at OCVC via www.ocvc.ac.uk
________________________________________________________
November 2011: New Composites Awareness and
Introduction courses
The Composites Skills
Alliance has launched a series of Awareness and Introduction
courses for people working in or with the composites industry. The
Alliance, a partnership between the National Skills Academy Process
Industries and Semta, the sector skills council for science,
engineering and manufacturing technologies, recently exhibited at
the Composites Engineering Show in Birmingham where it launched the
courses.
An employer group, with
representation from aerospace, automotive, renewable energies and
the composites supply chain, advised the Alliance on the courses
required by industry and the design of the courses reflect their
demands. They have been designed in a modular format to offer
flexibility in how and where they are studied as well as to adapt
to different career progression routes.
The courses are tailored
for people across the organisations from business leaders to
support teams. They have been independently verified and
accredited and include the following modules:
- Composites - Issues & Opportunities
- Composites - Individual Awareness
- Composites - Business & Organisation
- Introduction to Composites Manufacturing Processes
- Introduction to Composites Materials & Properties
- Practical Introduction to 3 Common Composites
Manufacturing Processes
Interest in the courses at
the exhibition was high. Tom Preece, Composites Business Manager
for the Academy said, 'The response we had illustrates the
importance of these awareness courses. We work with a number of
training providers who deliver specialist and technical courses but
there is a real appetite among employers in the industry for
employees to undertake general awareness courses.'
The courses will be rolling
out in January and will be delivered in house or at convenient
locations across the country. Please email info@composites-skills-alliance.com
to register your interest
__________________________________________
October 2011: Composites Engineering Show
on 9th & 10th November at the NEC.
This show will
be part of the wider 'Advanced Engineering' show. Details of the
show can be found by following the related link to the right.
The Composites
Skills Alliance will be launching its series of Composites
Awareness Courses and speaking to employers about how it can help
them upskill their employees.
Come and see
us on stand 338. For more details please email helen@composites-skills-alliance.com
________________________________________________________
June 2011: The Composites Skills Alliance
has been set up to develop and increase skills and competence for
the composites sector.
We meet the composite
industry's skills needs by specialist delivery and support through
our network of accredited UK training providers Key markets in the
UK for composites include aerospace, automotive, construction, and
marine. Typically composites skills are distributed across the
following sections: design & modelling; materials &
testing; manufacturing & processes; assembly & finishing;
maintenance & repair; and re-cycle & re-use.
For Employers:
The Composites Skills
Alliance (a partnership between the Academy and Semta) works with
employers to address their skills needs and delivers the products
and services to meet the identified gaps. It offers a safeguard
against poor training content and delivery and is a beacon of
security for employers who don't know where to find quality
training or are confused by the skills landscape. The Composites
Skills Alliance also gives employers the tools needed to benchmark
their in house training against national standards, as well as
provide specialist assistance by industry skills experts.
For Training Providers:
The Composites Skills
Alliance ensures training providers meet a national standard of
quality and competence for training delivery in the composites
arena. These industry led standards cover facilities, course
content, and the competence of those delivering the training. The
Composites Skills Alliance helps training providers offer products
and services which are aligned to industry needs and build trust
with customers by validating them against industry-recognised
levels of competence. The Composites Skills Alliance works closely
with the National Composites Centre and other leading technology
organisations to ensure that the network of providers maintains the
necessary provision to meet the needs of emerging technologies and
market growth. We are unique in that we are licensed by the
Government and led by employers (through an employer steering
group) to deliver a national, co-coordinated training and skills
service through our network of quality assured providers within the
composites arena.