Cornwall isn’t just a county of beaches, it has a burgeoning high-tech manufacturing sector with aerospace, medical, marine and satellite communications sectors leading the way. This creates a growing demand for skilled engineers and this is where the South West Institute of Technology facility located at Truro and Penwith College’s Truro campus is investing to meet that need.
A recent £7.2m investment has created a dedicated facility that includes an extensive machine shop equipped with multiple XYZ Machine Tools. The facility will provide CNC machining, toolmaking, mechatronics, fabrication and welding training, taking students to HNC, BTec and the new T-Level technical-based qualification level that has been developed to ensure that the skills meet the needs of industry. “There is a huge demand for skills in the region and as a training provider we have to be able to deliver those skills. Therefore, our first job was to modernise the workshop. In fact, we built a brand new facility and then got rid of all of the stereotypical equipment and brought in the right machine tools to develop the skills of our students,” says Engineering Lecturer, Andy Foulks.
“XYZ Machine Tools have bent over backwards in terms of the support that they have provided, from initial quotation through to machine installation and ongoing training and support. They are certainly customer focussed when it comes to the education sector with nothing being too much trouble. Our students are also welcomed at the factory for visits and additional insights and training on machines. Our role is to ensure that we keep up with industry requirements, hence the investment in CNC machinery.”
At the heart of the workshop is 21 machines from XYZ Machine Tools, ranging from the manual XYZ 1530VS trainer lathe and XYZ 2000 knee mills with digital readouts through ProtoTRAK controlled mills and lathes and a XYZ 660 HD vertical machining centre. “We can now focus all our energy on the students and apprentices to ensure that they are ready to add value for their employers. We have a lot of high-end, high-technology, companies in Cornwall and we strive to provide them with apprentices that can enhance their businesses.”
With this array of XYZ machines available, the apprentices can make a natural progression throughout their time at the college. Furthermore, as part of the new Apprenticeship Standards, they are working towards achieving the most up to date apprenticeships in the engineering sector. Adding greater interest, the college is working alongside Spaceport Cornwall, which is collaborating with other aerospace organisations, including Goonhilly Earth Station, Cornwall Council and Virgin Orbit to deliver the UK’s first satellite launch from Cornwall in 2022. Along the way, Truro College apprentices will be given the opportunity to be involved in machining prototype parts for the satellite. Truro and Penwith College has extended its connection with space and aerospace by creating the Cornwall Space and Aerospace Technology Training Project (CSATT), which is the first dedicated space training centre in the South-West.
Nick Tillyer (Engineering Team Lead) who had previously worked with XYZ to develop training facilities at Truro College said: “XYZ has proven to be a reliable and collaborative partner to work with, the consistent support coupled with solid advice and guidance had been critical to delivering our new facility. This is the second time XYZ have pulled out all the stops for us, I am looking forward to continuing our excellent working relationship with our new engineering and STEM centre in Bodmin which is due for completion in Q2 of 2022”.
