As tooling technology and job requirements rapidly evolve, the need for continuous workforce development has never been greater. Businesses are seeing the evolution and, after doing their due diligence, they are investing in training programmes that not only equip their workforce with essential technical skills but also foster adaptability in the face of industry change.
According to Neil Newbrook, business sector manager Wood, at Mirka UK, “Our training programmes enable us to deliver measurable value in the short, medium, and long term to businesses that have undertaken them. First, we talk with the customer about their goals, then Mirka tour the site to get a full understanding of the existing processes for sanding and polishing, including existing approaches to dust extraction and HAV. From there, Mirka’s experienced technical experts will work closely with the customer to create a tailored action plan to achieve their goals and improve their performance.
“Once the training is delivered, there is continued communication between our team and the customer as every training session is documented and follow-up meetings are scheduled to ensure implementation is successful, feedback is collected, and any new challenges the business has are addressed.
“This process ensures our programmes are highly customisable and means that we can fine-tune each programme to meet the exact needs of the business.
“In addition, we offer Train the Trainer programmes, where Mirka’s technical team trains a member of the customer’s team, so they have the knowledge and skills to train new starters on specific Mirka tools and processes and carry out refreshers for any staff that need it.
“We also consider where to hold the training to best benefit the customer. There are different reasons to run the courses on site or at our training centre in Milton Keynes, but ultimately, we let the customer decide. When we come to the customer’s site, they can learn within their normal daily environment using familiar products and tools, but this usually comes with distractions of a busy company. When Mirka takes the training away from the workshop floor to its training centre, participants take part in a combination of classroom-based learning and hands-on experience with the relevant tools, abrasives and solutions in a controlled environment.
“One of the main takeaways we have seen by bringing it to the Mirka Training Centre is that learners tend to focus more and ask better questions, which, in turn, leads to more discussion points being covered during the training programme.
“Overall, regular training is essential to ensure the workforce can use tools effectively and work efficiently, so productivity across the work cycle is increased alongside creating new opportunities for business growth.”
