In-Comm helps Moog deliver £1.5m landmark training programme

One of the UK’s leading aerospace manufacturers has joined forces with a Black Country training specialist to deliver one of the biggest training programmes seen in the region this year.

Moog, which produces components for flight control systems supplied to Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin amongst others, is working with In-Comm Training and Business Services to put over a quarter of its total workforce through specialist Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) courses.

The I54-based company is investing nearly £1.5m in the training, which will see 130 of its staff – from all areas of the business – develop new skills in continuous improvement, QCD (quality cost and delivery) performance, shop floor efficiency and the latest lean manufacturing principles.

The contract, which will run until 2015, will help the manufacturer improve the workflow of its manufacturing cells, achieve required cost downs and free up capacity so it can compete for new contracts in the global aerospace market.

“People are at the heart of the Moog philosophy and we invest heavily in developing the skills of our 420 workers in Wolverhampton,” explained Douglas Allen, Value Stream Manager.

“This latest project with In-Comm will be our biggest yet and underlines our commitment to quality and delivering world class manufacturing performance to our blue chip clients.”

He continued: “The training is about instilling the right culture in our staff and making them think about how their individual roles impact on the business and what they can do in order to make a positive difference.

‘There is no doubt offering these type of opportunities helps with staff retention and we firmly believe that the improvement projects we are undertaking will deliver £millions of cost savings through improved workflow and reduced inventory.”

Three specialists from In-Comm will provide the on-site training, working with groups of between 10 and 12 staff on securing either a NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Business Improvement Techniques, with the possibility of progressing onto higher levels or six sigma.

It is the biggest aerospace partnership in the Aldridge-based firm’s 31-year history and marks the growing desire from larger manufacturers to offer the best development opportunities for their staff.

Gareth Jones, Sales and Marketing Manager at In-Comm, explained:

“We’ve done a lot of work in the aerospace sector, but this is by far our largest contract to date and means we will be on site, supporting Moog and its staff, until December 2015.”

He went on to add: “One of the things we do really well is understand the DNA of the companies we work with and fully understand what they are looking to achieve. We can also unlock potential funding, which in this case amounted to over £347,000.

“This is a massive opportunity and has already necessitated the need for us to appoint another quality specialist, who possesses a strong Toyota background and will drive the team forward.”

In-Comm has been offering industry and commerce a wide range of training and business solutions for over 31 years.

This includes support in management development, health and safety, quality assurances, investors in people, business improvement techniques, lean manufacturing and specific skills courses.

The firm also has a proven track record of developing engineering Apprentices through its range of specialist packages that are tailored to meet customer needs.

This includes staggered start programmes, training delivered at the client’s site and intensive learning at In-Comm’s own workshop and machining centre.

For further information, please contact Gareth Jones on 01922 457686 or visit 108.128.187.227. You can also follow them on facebook and twitter at @incomm_training