On 15 August 2012, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) became one of Semta's Recognised Training Providers. The agreement with Semta - the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing – will help develop NPL's measurement training programme to meet the changing needs of industry.
NPL has delivered strong returns on investment through its measurement training schemes and its bespoke training programmes, for companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Jaguar Land Rover. NPL now wants to increase the outreach of the programme with even more courses designed to meet the specific needs of individual manufacturing and engineering businesses, large and small.
Semta works with industry to identify skills gaps, and provide support and training to improve engineering and advanced manufacturing performance and growth. It will name NPL one of its key training providers in recognition of the quality of the training provision and the value that NPL offers in improving performance and reducing waste in manufacturing.
Semta has a strong understanding of industry through its close links with the sectors it represents. Its network of advisors work closely with engineering and advanced manufacturing organisations and can help identify measurement skills gaps. It will be able to feed these back to NPL which can develop effective programmes to address them.
NPL currently runs training courses in Dimensional and Large Volume Metrology and can cover a range of other areas such as temperature, electrical, uncertainty and laser safety. The courses are aimed at reintroducing a questioning approach to measurement and applying good practice rather than relying on technology alone. They are designed with a view to reducing errors, solving complex problems, developing new products and services and functioning more efficiently.
Suzanne Wells, Operations Manager for NPL Training, says: "NPL training has been one of our most successful products in terms of bringing tangible benefits to industry. But the needs of industry evolve with both technological advancement and changing market demand. To ensure our training delivers the most impact to industry, we need to be close to our eventual customers, understand their changing needs and build our programmes to meet those needs exactly."
Bill Sutton, Networks Manager at Semta, said "We have recognised NPL as a top provider as they have demonstrated a service provision that brings proven quality and value to industry in terms of reduced costs, reduced waste, and shorter production times. This partnership will allow us to further help the industry by offering access to this training and helping NPL develop their programmes most effectively".
NPL training qualifications in metrology are also nationally recognised by EAL, the specialist, employer-recognised awarding organisation for the engineering, manufacturing, building services and related sectors.
www.npl.co.uk/training
www.semta.org.uk
About The National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is one of the UK's leading science facilities and research centres. It is a world-leading centre of excellence in developing and applying the most accurate standards, science and technology available.
NPL occupies a unique position as the UK's National Measurement Institute and sits at the intersection between scientific discovery and real world application. Its expertise and original research have underpinned quality of life, innovation and competitiveness for UK citizens and business for more than a century:
- NPL provides companies with access to world leading support and technical expertise, inspiring the absolute confidence required to realise competitive advantage from new materials, techniques and technologies
- NPL expertise and services are crucial in a wide range of social applications - helping to save lives, protect the environment and enable citizens to feel safe and secure. Support in areas such as the development of advanced medical treatments and environmental monitoring helps secure a better quality of life for all
- NPL develops and maintains the nation's primary measurement standards, supporting an infrastructure of traceable measurement throughout the UK and the world, to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Website: www.npl.co.uk