AI and Siemens open new technical centre
New facility highlights Aggregate Industries and Siemens commitment to training and apprenticeships
AGGREGATE Industries and Siemens have opened a new technical centre of engineering excellence at Stephenson College, in Coalville, Leicestershire. The teaching facility has been launched as part of an ongoing strategic partnership between the two companies and houses £45,000 worth of highly sophisticated Siemens programming and control equipment.
The college will use the technology to equip Aggregate Industries’ third year advanced engineering apprenticeship students with the skills they need to operate identical equipment on site.
In addition to providing programming tools to enhance the college’s learning environment, Aggregate Industries and Siemens have implemented a ‘train the trainer’ programme to ensure the engineering lecturers teaching the young hopefuls have a thorough working knowledge of the new apparatus.
Hefin Jones, operational training and competency manager for Aggregate Industries, commented: ‘Our established and highly regarded apprenticeship programme trains our future workforce in both mechanical and electrical disciplines. It is important that we treat our training programme as an integral part of our strategic business development plans, so that our young engineers are equipped with the skills and confidence to drive our business forward when they come to the end of their studies.
He continued: ‘With the very latest in Siemens technology both on site and in the classroom, our future engineers will gain first hand theoretical and practical appreciation of modern, technologically advanced electro/mechanical equipment. Thanks to our partnership with Siemens, we have given them the resources they need to develop into highly skilled and competent maintenance professionals.’
The official opening of the technical centre marked a key milestone for the strategic partnership, which plans to further enrich the learning environment offered to Aggregate Industries’ apprentices, with further technology and training provisions over the coming years.
