Bed manufacturer Relyon pilots lean training scheme
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Employees at the bed-maker Relyon were the first in the UK to successfully complete a new training pilot developed by the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing to introduce staff to the fundamentals of lean techniques in manufacturing.
The training, which will now be rolled out across the UK, is a bespoke course designed to prepare learners before they begin training for the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) for Business Improvement Techniques.
Participants from Relyon at Wellington, Somerset, undertook a four week course in partnership with the Learning and Skills Council and run by Skills Academy-approved trainers from nearby Yeovil College. Over the course of 20 x 90min modules it equipped them with fundamental lean and skills for life tools and techniques.
The 12 Relyon employees (pictured) were presented with their certificates at a ceremony by managing director Chris Tattersall.
Relyon business improvement manager Gary Schultz, said: “At Relyon we believe that a period of economic uncertainty is the perfect time to invest in the skills of our employees - that this will help us to progress as a business and ensure that our competitors cannot steal a march on us. That is why we were keen to work with the Skills Academy, Yeovil College and the Learning & Skills Council to pilot this training. We are so impressed with the results that we are putting six of the course participants straight onto the NVQ Level 2 and hope others will follow.”
Brian Thornton, south west regional manager for the Skills Academy, said the Academy encouraged employers and employees to collaborate and analyse the skills needed to meet specific business and personal objectives – exactly what Relyon had done.
