South Tyneside College has secured funding from the Government’s Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) to invest in machinery equipment to stay aligned with the Engineering and Manufacturing Industry.
To meet the skills gap in this ever-evolving industry, the college has invested in a ‘Markforged’ 3D printer; enabling our students to create industrial strength 3D printed parts, reinforced with composite fibres to produce accuracy and strengths of the parts created.
We are getting our students work ready, by investing in such a highly automated 3D printing system that will allow learners to create prototypes from their design/creations.
The 3D prototypes can then be measured using our industry standard CMM measuring device before the part is created in on one of our industry standard ‘HAAS’ CNC machines. As a result, this will help us create an immersive experience for the student from design concept to part creation.
Neil Bowen, Head of STEM and Green Initiatives at South Tyneside College commented:
Digital skills were recognised as a key aspect of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) as being required in the workplace and this equipment will help our students develop further digital skills, putting theory into practice, whilst also being better prepared for the modern manufacturing environment.
Our engineering staff are also due to undergo further mandatory training in the summer, aiding an even further specialised vocational delivery tailored for the next generation of skilled engineers.
