Composites Skills Alliance Update

Tom PreeceComposites Business Manager

Composites Skills Alliance

Slide 3

Composites skills – industry headlines

• Limited industry resources to meet demand forecast • Existing courses and qualifications do not usually include composites units or options

• Immediate needs are re-skilling and up-skilling of the existing workforce

• Industry needs consistent standards of course delivery and content across all composite sectors

• Provider cooperation will remove duplication and give focus to growth of specialist delivery expertise

• Skills must be aligned to the emerging needs of industry

Our plan is based on strong research.....

Forecasts show the need to at least double the number of composites skilled people at all levels by 2015:

Equip young people with composites skills - apprentices and graduates Increase the skill levels of existing composites personnel Provide additional composites skills for manufacturing and engineering teams

This means at least a four-fold increase in composites skills provider capacity in the short term

The Employer Steering Group

A plan emerges.....

Agree a structure for the vocational training needs for the UK industry

Modular Short Courses

Agree a structure for the vocational training needs for the UK industry

Modular Short Courses

Agree a structure for setting the Standards of Delivery

Establishment Course Content Facilities Trainers

Agree a structure for setting the Standards of Delivery

Establishment Course Content Facilities Trainers

Sign up Providersto deliver the coursesSign up Providers

to deliver the courses Deliver CoursesDeliver Courses

Slide 7

Content Development Update

Awareness & Introduction

Practical & Technician

Basic Theory & Principles

Skill Level 1 - 2

Skill Level 2 - 3

Skill Level 4 - 5

• Awareness for managers and non-composites staff• Introduction to Materials and Processes• Introduction to Testing, etc

• Resin Flow Infusion• Pre-preg manufacture• Repair, etc

• Fundamentals of Design for Manufacture• Fundamentals of Stress Analysis• Fundamentals of Materials, etc

Slide 8

Standardised, Modular Course Content

1. Awareness Courses – 1 day, now selling public and in-house

2. Managers’ strategic course – ½ day, available as requiredo Adapted / Enhanced from 1

3. Introduction to Materials and Processes – 1 day, now selling, public and in-house

4. Introduction to Testing – 1 day, available nowo Developed with U5 – Defects and Testing

Awareness & Introduction Skill Level 1 - 2

• Awareness for managers and non-composites staff• Introduction to Materials and Processes• Introduction to Testing, etc

Slide 9


6 modules in development and to be available in September:o U1: Wet Lay-up, led by Southamptono U2: Prepreg, led by OCVCo U3: Resin Infusion, led by Cornwall College / Composites Integrationo U4: Resin Transfer, led by Cornwall College / Composites Integrationo U5: Defects and Testing, led by Yeovil College with links to NCCEF, Swansea Meto U6: Repair, led by LRTT

Delivered as 5 day courses, including ‘Introduction to ….’

Practical & Technician Skill Level 2 - 3

• Resin Flow Infusion• Pre-preg manufacture• Repair, etc

Slide 10


5 ‘Fundamental’ 1 day modules in development, to be available in September:o F1: Materialso F2: Manufacturing Engineeringo F3: Designo F4: Stresso F5: Design for Manufacture

Piloted through NCC, reviewed and under amendment – F5 added following feedback

Basic Theory & Principles Skill Level 4 - 5

• Fundamentals of Design for Manufacture• Fundamentals of Stress Analysis• Fundamentals of Materials, etc

The Courses

Awareness and Introduction

Category Awareness Introduction to Working with Composites

CSA Module Ref A1 A2 A3 I1 I2 I3

Title

Composites -Technology andOpportunities

Composites

Individual Awareness

Composites - Business

& OrganisationalIssues

Introduction toMaterials &Properties

Introduction to Manufacturing

Processes

Practical Introductionto 3 Common

Processes

Target Population Business Leaders

Non-practitioner staff and

new composite starters

Non-practitioner staff and

new composite starters

New composite starters

New composite starters and

non specialistsNon-Specialists

Duration (Days) 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 3.0

Category Using Composites Materials and Processes

CSA Module Ref U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U6 U7 U8 U9

Title Wet Lay-up Pre-preg Resin Flow Infusion

Resin Transfer

Defects and Testing Repair Trimming and

FinishingBonding and

AssemblyCuring and

Consolidation

Target Population Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners

Duration (Days) NOS L2: 3.0

NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L3:

5.0

NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L3:

5.0

NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L3:

5.0NOS L3: 5.0 NOS L3: 5.0

NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L3:

5.0

NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L3:

5.0NOS L3: 5.0

The Courses

Practical and Technician

The Courses

Composites Theory

Category Designing With Composites – Basic Theory Development Project Designing With Composites -

Intermediate Theory

CSA Module Ref F1 F2 F3 F4 P1 P2 D1 D2 D3 D4

Title Fundamental ofMaterials

Fundamentals ofManufacturing

Engineering

Fundamentals of

Design

Fundamentals of

Stress

Composites Project Set Up

CompositesProject

Practical

Intermediate Materials

Theory

Intermediate Manufacturing

Engineering

Intermediate Design Practice

IntermediateStressing

Analysis ofComposites

Target Population

Level 4+ Starting orWidening in Composites










Duration (Days) 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 5.0 2.0 - 3.0 2.0 - 3.0 2.0 - 3.0 2.0 - 3.0