The first tranche of students to take part in two new European-funded courses at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) have started their journey to learn more about Industry 4.0 and how to apply its principles in their workplaces.
The two courses, known as Upskilling for Industry 4.0:Wales and International Innovation Masters are being offered as part of the MADE (Manufacturing for Advanced Design Engineering) suite of projects which are designed to equip Welsh manufacturers and those working in the sector to plug into the power of disruptive technologies in order to boost productivity.
The courses are being delivered by UWTSD and its Centre for Advanced Batch Manufacturing (CBM) through a combination of face-to-face learning and remotely via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment. The first cohort is made up from people working within the manufacturing sector who are keen to learn more about disruptive technologies and how they can drive change within their own organisations to help future-proof the manufacturing sector in Wales.
Nick Parton, a production engineer at Marelli, in Llanelli, is one of the first students to embark on the International Innovation Masters. Having already completed his degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UWTSD, he is keen to continue his professional development.
He comments: “I was keen to sign up to the International Innovation Masters as part of my personal and professional development and to further my ambition of becoming chartered. The learnings really complement the R&D and product development work that I’m currently undertaking at Marelli. As well as finding out about innovative, new technologies and how these can be adopted by manufacturers, the course allows me to meet with and to learn from other people working within the manufacturing sector. Our virtual learning environment allows us to see each other as lectures take place and we’re encouraged share our experiences. I’m finding it really interesting so far and I can see it being of great benefit to me personally and professionally.”
Professor Alan Lewis from the MADE project adds: “The new Masters degree in International Innovation Management is an exciting development which we are all proud to be a part of. The programme reaches out to professionals and companies across Wales and we hope it will help companies and individuals engage successfully with the challenges and opportunities which Industry 4.0 brings.”
He continues: “It’s an exciting time for the MADE project as the first group of students join us on the International Innovation Masters and Upskilling for Industry 4.0: Wales courses. We have spent many months planning the content of these courses to ensure that we’re equipping participants with the knowledge and skills they need to drive change within their own organisations. Our next cohort is due to start in January and over the coming years we intend to work with colleagues in the Welsh manufacturing sector to both further their careers and improve the uptake of Industry 4.0 technologies in Wales.”
