Enthusiasm for training

Automotive manufacturing has long been heralded as one of the most competitive markets, with manufacturers facing a constant challenge to remain at the leading edge. One such manufacturer, Group Lotus, has joined forces with the Automotive Academy, City College Norwich, and Train to Gain – funded by the East of England Learning and Skills Council – to rise to this challenge by creating a new training initiative for Lotus employees. Lotus needs to make continual improvements in order to stay competitive and this training initiative is crucial in helping them maintain its position, and to ensure its workforce maintain world class standards. The initiative importantly focuses on unlocking the extra potential of employees by enabling them to make step improvements to the work environment, to quality, cost reduction, and delivery using best practice continuous improvement techniques. These steps are key to sustainability for the business in the long run. Lotus have committed to taking 350 manufacturing & engineering staff through the training which covers business practices, statutory law, health & safety, effective team working, work place organization, visual management systems and problem solving. As well as importantly making the commitment to allow staff the time and space to effect the changes they have identified. All trainees who complete the course will receive a first class nationally recognized NVQ qualification. All the material for the Business Improvement Techniques training was put together by the Automotive Academy in conjunction with world-class experts and specialists in the field. The Academy then trained the trainers in Lotus and City College Norwich. The units themselves have the added benefit to the employee of being applicable in every working business environment. The fact the trainees have to provide evidence that they have absorbed the underpinning knowledge and applied it in a real working scenario helps the management to see the real tangible & sustainable results. Lotus sees the programme, which is actively supported through the LSC’s Train to Gain funding, as a benchmark for this type of training. John Vigar, manager for continuous improvement manufacturing business coordination at Lotus says: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for Lotus and the management can already see the value the partnership with the Automotive Academy, the LSC, and the local college. The local workforce here at Hethel are very willing to do things differently. They have shown a real enthusiasm for the training and a great appreciation of the chance for enhancing their personal development and embracing the continuous improvement philosophy.”