This document outlines a plan to address the growing skills shortage in the UK composites industry. It summarizes research showing demand for composites skilled workers will need to double by 2015. The plan aims to equip young people, upskill existing workers, and provide additional training. Standardized modular courses will be developed across multiple skill levels, delivered by approved training providers. Course content includes awareness, practical skills, and composites theory topics. The plan aims to meet industry needs through a coordinated, scalable training structure.

2.
Tom Preece
Composites Business Manager
Composites Skills Alliance

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
Slide 3

4. 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

5. The Employer Steering Group

6. A plan emerges.....
Agree a structure for the vocational training needs for the UK industry
Agree a structure for the vocational training needs for the UK industry
Modular Short Courses
Modular Short Courses
Agree a structure for setting the Standards of Delivery
Agree a structure for setting the Standards of Delivery
Establishment
Establishment Course Content
Course Content Facilities
Facilities Trainers
Trainers
Sign up Providers
Sign up Providers
to deliver the courses
to deliver the courses Deliver Courses
Deliver Courses

7. Content Development Update
Awareness & Introduction Skill Level 1 - 2
• Awareness for managers and non-composites staff
• Introduction to Materials and Processes
• Introduction to Testing, etc
Practical & Technician Skill Level 2 - 3
• Resin Flow Infusion
• Pre-preg manufacture
• Repair, etc
Basic Theory & Principles Skill Level 4 - 5
• Fundamentals of Design for Manufacture
• Fundamentals of Stress Analysis
• Fundamentals of Materials, etc
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8. Standardised, Modular Course Content
Awareness & Introduction Skill Level 1 - 2
• Awareness for managers and non-composites staff
• Introduction to Materials and Processes
• Introduction to Testing, etc
1. Awareness Courses – 1 day, now selling public and in-house
2. Managers’ strategic course – ½ day, available as required
o Adapted / Enhanced from 1
1. Introduction to Materials and Processes – 1 day, now selling, public and in-house
2. Introduction to Testing – 1 day, available now
o Developed with U5 – Defects and Testing
Slide 8

9. Standardised, Modular Course Content
Practical & Technician Skill Level 2 - 3
• Resin Flow Infusion
• Pre-preg manufacture
• Repair, etc
6 modules in development and to be available in September:
o U1: Wet Lay-up, led by Southampton
o U2: Prepreg, led by OCVC
o U3: Resin Infusion, led by Cornwall College / Composites Integration
o U4: Resin Transfer, led by Cornwall College / Composites Integration
o U5: Defects and Testing, led by Yeovil College with links to NCCEF, Swansea Met
o U6: Repair, led by LRTT
Delivered as 5 day courses, including ‘Introduction to ….’
Slide 9

10. Standardised, Modular Course Content
Basic Theory & Principles Skill Level 4 - 5
• Fundamentals of Design for Manufacture
• Fundamentals of Stress Analysis
• Fundamentals of Materials, etc
5 ‘Fundamental’ 1 day modules in development, to be available in September:
o F1: Materials
o F2: Manufacturing Engineering
o F3: Design
o F4: Stress
o F5: Design for Manufacture
Piloted through NCC, reviewed and under amendment – F5 added following feedback
Slide 10

11. The Courses
Awareness and Introduction
Category Awareness Introduction to Working with Composites
CSA Module Ref A1 A2 A3 I1 I2 I3
Composites Composites - Practical
Composites Introduction to Introduction to
-Technology and Business Materials & Manufacturing Introduction
Title Individual & Organisational to 3 Common
Opportunities Awareness Properties Processes
Issues Processes
Non-practitioner Non-practitioner New composite
Target Business Leaders staff and staff and New composite starters and Non-Specialists
Population new composite new composite starters non specialists
starters starters
Duration (Days) 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 3.0

12. The Courses
Practical and Technician
Category Using Composites Materials and Processes
CSA Module U1 U2 U3 U4 U5 U6 U7 U8 U9
Ref
Resin Flow Resin Defects and Trimming and Bonding and Curing and
Title Wet Lay-up Pre-preg Repair Finishing Assembly Consolidation
Infusion Transfer Testing
Target Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners Practitioners
Population
Duration NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L2: 3.0
NOS L2: 3.0 NOS L3: NOS L3: NOS L3: NOS L3: 5.0 NOS L3: 5.0 NOS L3: NOS L3: NOS L3: 5.0
(Days) 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0

13. The Courses
Composites Theory
Category Designing With Composites – Development Project Designing With Composites -
Basic Theory Intermediate Theory
CSA Module F1 F2 F3 F4 P1 P2 D1 D2 D3 D4
Ref
Intermediate
Fundamentals of Fundamentals Fundamentals Composites Intermediate Intermediate
Fundamental of Composites Intermediate Stressing
Title Manufacturing of of Project Materials Manufacturing
Materials Project Set Up Design Practice Analysis of
Engineering Design Stress Practical Theory Engineering Composites
Level 4+ Level 4+ Level 4+ Level 4+ Level 4+ Level 4+ Level 5+ Level 5+ Level 5+ Level 5+
Target Starting or Starting or Starting or Starting or Starting or Starting or Starting or Starting or Starting or Starting or
Population Widening in Widening in Widening in Widening in Widening in Widening in Widening in Widening in Widening in Widening in
Composites Composites Composites Composites Composites Composites Composites Composites Composites Composites
Duration 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
(Days)