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Middlesbrough College opens the door to engineering success

ROUTES into high quality engineering jobs across the North East are waiting for eager learners at Middlesbrough College.

At the College’s industry-leading campus, complete with its £20m STEM training centre, hundreds of students are getting the hands-on experience they need to excel in well paid careers in mechanical engineering, instrumentation, electrical engineering and more.

And Middlesbrough College’s apprenticeship training company, Northern Skills Group, trains more than 2,000 apprentices each year.

Strong links with regional employers from across different sectors mean students get to grips with the skills that are needed on the job, meaning they are job ready when leaving.

With a mixture of full time, part time and higher education courses to suit school leavers, career changers and those already in work but looking for new skills – Middlesbrough College is helping hundreds of people in the sector.

Andy Buckworth, executive director of STEM at Middlesbrough College, said: “Our expert trainers, most of whom come from industry backgrounds, have some of the best facilities in the country in which to give students the skills that employers demand. “Our trainers weave their own experience into delivering our training and also ensure that students have the correct behaviours and attitudes that industry expects. “Our STEM Centre has real life working processing equipment and manufacturing plants that help learners build competencies and behaviours that engineering companies need. These are uniquely beyond the level offered within the typical curriculum. “You can also pick up valuable skills and qualifications alongside the course, including health and safety, risk assessments, work permits, working at height, working in confined spaces, manual handling and first aid at work.” Full time courses include Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Performing Engineering Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, and Instrumentation and Control. Part time courses include IOSH Managing Safely, CSCS Green Card, Electrical Installation, 18th Edition Wiring Regulations, NEBOSH Diploma/Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, CITB CSkills Health and Safety Awareness and Welding. Meanwhile students can study HNC/HND qualifications in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Manufacturing and Instrumentation Operations, and BEng (Hons) Engineering (Top-up). Middlesbrough College and Northern Skills Group learners are among the best in class – as 18-year-old welding wonder Jack Moran showed recently. Jack, a Level 2 Welding student at the College, took home the top prize at the Inter College Welding Competition. He was joined in second place by classmate Curtis Marsh. The pair, who attracted attention from regional employers, impressed judges with their deft handling of the challenging brief, which required students to demonstrate their skills in Manual Metal Arc welding (MMA) and Metal Inert Gas welding (MIG). Middlesbrough College is accredited by The Welding Institute to deliver practical weld tests so trainees can get CSCS Gold Cards – a key certification for professional welders.

And Jack said his success was down to the quality of teaching and facilities at Middlesbrough College.

He said: “The facilities at Middlesbrough College shone through on the day and I realised what an amazing environment we have here. I think that is why Curtis and I did so well.”

The College’s curriculum is developed with input from industry partners, and theory is combined with practical work to produce a winning combination of skills.

The College works with employers such as Hitachi, Caterpillar, Elring Klinger and Labman.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Northern Skills Group .