24/02/2004
Hungary for knowledge: Ian Young (centre) shows Hungarian guests round MKW’s Ryton plant.
An innovative engineering group's radical approach to training has attracted interest from the "new Europe".
Training experts from Hungary have made two visits to the MKW Engineering Group at Ryton, near Gateshead, to check out some of the ways the Group teaches its young engineers, and its ongoing staff development programmes.
MKW has evolved over 28 years from a small local engineering business to become an innovative leader in engineering solutions, with blue chip clients in the defence, medical, sub-sea and other sectors.
But it was the Group's approach to apprentice and vocational training that saw its inclusion on the itinerary of two parties of senior vocational assessors from the Hungarian department of education.
The visit - aimed at demonstrating the best of British training - was coordinated by DDL, the e-learning company, with offices at Redcar and Newcastle.
DDL's involvement came through its links with International House, the international training organisation, whose Budapest base provided the first contact for the trip, funded by the Hungarian government.
Lynne McBean, DDL's Business Development Director, explained that the Hungarians were looking at vocational training across nine European countries. A total of 38 trainers visited MKW, with their three days in the North East also taking in Tees Valley Learning and Skills Council; Neta, the Teesside-based training organisation; Hartlepool College; Manor College of Technology; Carillon Construction; and the North East Chamber of Commerce, as well as visits to the Department for Education and Skills, the Quality Curriculum Authority and exams company Edexcel, in London.
At MKW, they learned about the Group's vocational training programme, as well as its apprentice training scheme, under which apprentices young engineers from a partnership with the French training organisation, Les Campagnons du Devoir, that sees them spend up two years learning their skills in France - and becoming fluent in French at the same time.
"The Department of Trade recommended that the groups visit MKW to see its interesting projects and they have been very impressed by their visits," said Lynne.
Ian Young, MKW Engineering Managing Director, said: "We invest heavily in the latest cutting technology and ongoing training and development is essential for us. It is only through the skills and expertise of our workforce that we are able to survive and prosper in a highly competitive world.
"We have been happy to share some of our experience with our guests from Hungary and further champion the cause of engineering excellence in the North East."