Seco Tools (UK) trains for skills today and tomorrow

The apprenticeship programme is a collaborative venture and is co-ordinated by Seco's sales and marketing manager, Mike Fleming, in conjunction with various Seco staff (acting as either mentors or trainers), local FE colleges and Midland Group Training Services (MGTS). Says Mr Fleming: "Our apprenticeship programme has been designed to meet Semta guidelines and specifications for training young people (holds the Sector Skills Council (SSC) licence for the engineering and advanced manufacturing sectors). "It's tough, but rewarding, and the programme ensures that apprentices develop the requisite skills and aptitudes, and achieve the qualifications required to take-up their pre-determined full time positions in the company once they have completed their four years. "Although the apprenticeships we offer are technical in nature, apprentices are given a good grounding in all Seco's business functions and will spend time understanding and learning our IT systems, our sales and marketing processes and our logistics operations etc. "However, the main focus of the programme is technical and, as a consequence, apprentices will undertake intense periods of training in our state-of-the-art Custom Tool facility and Technology Centre, both of which are equipped with advanced CNC machine tools, and where the latest CADCAM packages and programs are used. "Everything from manual and CNC milling, turning and grinding to fitting, assembly and finishing processes...and from CADCAM through to inspection are covered. "As well as acquiring these practical and vocational skills that they (and we need) for the future, apprentices will also study (off-the-job) for a National or Higher National Certificate in Engineering and will complete a full NVQ Level 2 in Performing Engineering Operations (PEO) and NVQ Level 3 in Technical Services." Image: Scott Bywater, Seco technician apprentice