Home > News >
The Art of Forging – A Master Class
August 2008

Mettis Aerospace has recently introduced a new course aimed at delivering a formal qualification for its skilled forge operators.  The forgemaster training course is assessed at NVQ Level 2and the first group of Mettis Aerospace employees have recently completed the first course.

The course consists of a range of modules ranging from complying with statutory regulations and organisational safety requirements and promoting effective working relationships, through to preparing for manufacturing operations, producing shaped parts and controlling manufacturing operations.

This was a twelve month programme and together with the academic work required for the qualification, the group spent the twelve months working on and learning about all the various equipment and manufacturing processes within their area of work.  As part of the programme the group also had secondment periods in the engineering department to gain a more detailed understanding of their role in the wider business context and also in the laboratory to demonstrate why the process and methods of manufacture prescribed by engineering are so crucial to delivering safety critical components.

All those that completed the course found it a challenging but rewarding experience.  They were surprised by the level of detail the NVQ demanded of them with modules on areas such as employment law which proved to be some what of a challenge!  Worcester Group Training Services provided the training programme on behalf of Mettis Aerospace and all those that completed the course were impressed with the support and advice provided.

Dawn Beard, HR Manager at Mettis Aerospace comments, “The drive and determination exhibited by all those that have successfully completed the course has been really impressive.  They have achieved a Level 2 qualification whilst juggling family commitments and working shift patterns which made formal study more difficult.  It was their personal determination to get through which made the difference between success and failure.  We are all very proud of their achievements.”

There are now plans to roll out the forgemaster training programme to a wider cross section of the organisation.  The group that have just completed the course will become mentors to the new intake to provide advice and guidance on how to achieve success on the course.