British engineers receive just five days training a year
Published: 04 March, 2016
Bosch Rexroth, is calling on industry to invest more in maintenance training following the results of a recent study.
The survey conducted amongst 300 engineers by Bosch Rexroth, in conjunction with The Institution of Engineering and Technology (The IET), revealed that more than 50% of engineers receive only five days training or less each year. A mere 12% said they were entitled to 10 or more training days.
One of the key issues, backed by approximately 75% of respondents, highlighted the rise in increasingly complex equipment, with maintenance teams struggling to keep up. Despite this increase in complexity, more than half confirmed training budgets had stagnated or decreased.
Richard Chamberlain, UK Service manager at Bosch Rexroth, commented: “It seems like a simple equation that training should intensify as manufacturing technology advances but this is something easier said than done.”
He continued: “It’s crucial that those responsible for machine uptime remain up-to-speed with new technologies. However, with a chronic shortage of skilled technicians, the stigma that training takes engineers away from their core responsibility, is still a legitimate problem.
“Looking at the report, it is encouraging to see that almost half of respondents declared e-learning courses were key in their training and these are likely to increase as machines get increasingly interconnected. It’s essential that effective training is in place to support engineers; by remaining up-to-speed with advancing technology this will in turn ensure machines run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.”
BALLUFF says it runs training courses throughout the year and the objective of its hands-on workshops is to teach the participants the optimal way to solve tasks related to industrial applications. Balluff says during the training, it will share its practical knowledge based on many years of experience as a manufacturer.
SCHWER FITTINGS has agreed in conjunction with the BFPA, to allow anyone with a vested interest to use the company’s state of the art training facilities. The move will provide experts and individuals alike, with the knowledge needed to progress within the industry.
