TRAINING & SKILLS
Training the train makers
In August Education Secretary Nicky Morgan (centre), accompanied by Qualitrain MD Richard Bates (right), was delighted to meet the next generation of engineers at BTRS in Derby.
ualitrain began life as a training provider serving engineering and manufacturing companies in the East Midlands, but notable success has allowed rapid growth and industry clients strongly represented. Indeed, the company has a permanent base within
Q
Correctly identifying the real needs of a business, and responding imaginatively and vigorously to them, have helped us build lasting partnerships with our rail industry customers,
a series of practical tests that could feed performance data back to management so that improvements could be made accurately with no overlap or wastage. In my opinion, they business and are tenacious in seeing a project through successfully.”
the-shelf training packages are rarely worth understood where a business can derive real genuine worth. Then it becomes a matter of delivering it in a meaningful, sustainable and even enjoyable way.
Our business improvement clients, for instance, have typically achieved savings of around £10,000 per trainee – hundreds of thousands of pounds, therefore, in many cases. And since people keep asking us back, we assume they’re
Core issues at BTRS and Bombardier
business improvement training for frontline team leaders, in addition to developing a ‘Core Competency’ programme. This included PMO (Performing
Manufacturing Operations) at
Level 2 for the entire workforce. This was a large-scale training
project
dependant on close working partnerships Cambridge and West Nottinghamshire colleges.
on to develop a single-week training course covering all the key processes of building electrical wiring looms.
38 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 15
Transportation with business improvement extensive in-house training
programme.
trainers to ensure the high standards set throughout the business were successfully mapped across into all training activities, with no fewer than 170 managers passing through the programme. At Level 2, the pass rate was 100%, and the programme has since moved to Level 3.
Rolling success at First Great Western
scheme that had already been put in place by the manager at First Great Western’s (FGW’s) promote and improve health and safety within an inevitably hazardous working environment.
We were able to formalise and fund the initiative by applying business improvement techniques within FGW Trains, deploying the apprenticeship route of ‘Improving Operational Performance’ as a vehicle, but ensuring the
The programme quickly achieved excellent (an all-time low, in fact), which was recognised in 2013. Indeed, the scheme was so successful that, long before these results were reported, the training was rolled out to the six other FGW depots, so that valuable improvement activities are now under way from Old Oak Common in
at FGW, the apprenticeship in ‘Improving
opportunity to gain new skills and apply them in real-life situations over a period of time.
As a starting point we challenged each team to scenario. The management team has also been challenged to assess the potential outcomes and close out each idea, with descriptive feedback for non-starters, or assign actions to (and oversee) those projects that will hit pre- agreed objectives and targets.
There is now a wealth of very visible, positive activity, driven not only by the training and structured and supportive approach from the company – the perfect example of how high- value working partnerships allow training to bring high-value results.
W:
www.qualitrain.co.uk FOR MORE INFORMATION
For the last six years, engineering and business improvement training providers Qualitrain have been working with Bombardier, BTRS and FirstGroup to enhance workplace skills, cut costs, and improve health and safety. Qualitrain’s MD Richard Bates explains more.
London to Penzance. Entering the dragon’s den at GT Railway
Impressed by what had been achieved at FGW
become accepted as part of the FGW ‘family’, the management team at First Capital Connect, a training programme within its two depots in
FCC had invested heavily in improvement activities, including the appointment of a new continuous improvement manager and commitment to a really extensive training programme.
Over 450 candidates are now involved, and the response has been greater than anyone could have foreseen. The candidates have shown fantastic business improvement acumen and a fabulous level of enthusiasm that is rare to see at such an early stage.
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