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Global partnership attracts top training award

A partnership between global manufacturing company, Schlumberger (SLB), and the Northern Regional College (NRC) has been awarded a Northern Ireland Training Award.

The award recognises outstanding achievement and success through training and development and was presented at the Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ Office by Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, who said: “This partnership is a great example of how first class training can help your business compete in the global marketplace. 

The training enhanced the skills of the staff at Schlumberger and demonstrated the high level of expertise that exists within our regional further education colleges, such as Northern Regional College.  I commend them both on winning a Northern Ireland Training Award.”

In 2006 Schlumberger was experiencing operational difficulties with its Design for Manufacturing (DfM) processes due to a large number of relatively young / inexperienced manufacturing engineers.  At the same time Northern Regional College (NRC) was identified as a centre where DfM Solutions could be delivered, however delivery staff still required ‘on the job’ DfM knowledge to develop delivery strategies.  Realising there was a natural synergy between their needs, the two organisations formed a partnership that would benefit both.

NRC was asked to devise and deliver a course at SLB Houston, Texas following the success of the course.  The review identified that the training could impact on the wider SLB population and six courses are planned for Belfast, Houston, Singapore & Shanghai, with negotiations taking place for delivery to a further 240 learners globally over the next two years.

NRC placed two lecturers in SLB, each for eight weeks, utilising the Lecturer Into Industry Scheme (LII) to gain on-the-job knowledge/skills alongside engineering personnel.  This developed into a three day pilot course touching on a number of different areas, including machining, specific metals, chemical processes, heat treatments and fabrication. 

56 learners have successfully completed the training and been judged competent in all aspects and the lecturer placement has enhanced the NRC curriculum in line with industry, improved understanding of the theoretical side of DfM technologies and gained up-to-date experience of modern manufacturing techniques associated with oil/gas exploration industry.

Trevor Neilands, Director/Chief Executive at NRC, commented: “The training partnership developed with Schlumberger has further enhanced the reputation and profile of NRC’s Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing Engineering.  The initiative has clearly demonstrated the College’s ability to meet the training needs of industry in line with Government policy for the new Regional FE Colleges.  In addition the development of a training programme to meet the company’s international needs shows that NRC can compete in the global market through the delivery of world class standards of training.”