The new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses will welcome experienced engineering and manufacturing professionals who are seeking the opportunity to enhance their skills, productivity and employability.
Avara will support the development and delivery of the curriculum in terms of committing resources and expertise, as well as offering work placements at its local manufacturing facilities.
NMiTE head of partnerships Toby Kinnaird said lean thinking and practice could help organisations become both innovative and competitive and, in turn, become more sustainable.
‘Meaningful learning’
“Our courses will help participants to see problems as opportunities for meaningful learning, rather than errors to be swept under the carpet,” said Kinnaird.
“We will equip managers with the skills to act as coaches in helping their colleagues to identify problems and practice daily continuous improvement. Their employers will benefit from improved operational efficiency.”
Inaugurated on 19 October 2018, NMiTE has sought to solve the estimated shortfall in engineering graduates in the UK – 22,000 annually. The organisation will officially open its doors to a cohort of 50 undergraduates next year at a purpose-built city centre campus in Hereford.
Anchor partner
In addition to being the anchor partner for NMiTE’s Lean Manufacturing CPD course, Avara Foods is also a strategic partner to NMiTE and has committed to sponsoring five of the initial cohort of students when they start.
Commenting on the partnership, Avara people and communications director Andrew Brodie said: “In any sustainable business, the development of its people has to be a priority – so partnering with NMiTE on their Lean Manufacturing CPD courses is an obvious step for us to take.
“We’re delighted to be part of the development of NMiTE’s CPD course and provide meaningful development for our teams. As a local employer, with a proud history in Hereford, we have been impressed with NMiTE’s approach to CPD, as well as their commitment to the local community.”
