^ E W S F E E DENGINEERING COUNCIL AND NCVQTO CHANGE THE FACE OF TRAININGENGINEERING could be witnessingthe first stages of a revolution intraining and professional education.The catalyst responsible for thechanges is the National Council forVocational Qualifications (NCVQ), setup in 1986 to rationalise an oftenconfusing plethora of vocationalqualifications throughout Britishindustry and commerce.
According to NCVQ Chief Exe-cutive, Peter Thompson, "the task ofthe NCVQ is not simply to makequalifications more comprehensible.We are also charged with makingqualifications more appropriate to theneeds of industry and more access-ible while providing a more effectivemethod of career progression."
Recent developments in the ship-building and marine industry are anear perfect illustration of how thenew system devised to achieve theseaims could make a dramaticdifference to the engineering indus-try's training efforts and employerrecruitment plans. The NCVQ hasaccredited as National VocationalQualifications (NVQs) trainingcourses at four levels starting at LevelI (Foundation) and rising to Level IV(Advanced). Each Level is divided intounits awarded to individuals oncethey have demonstrated a specificlevel of competence in a particulartask.
For engineering manufacture, theEITB is making similar strides inestablishing competence based quali-fications and will bring developmentsat Levels I to IV to fruition by mid- tolate 1990. This will be the result ofnearly three years' work across thevast range of engineering manufac-turing practices.
The emphasis on competence andunit based learning is significant.Many of the individual units at eachlevel (electrical fitting for example) arerelevant to a range of disciplineswithin engineering as a whole. Bydividing each level into units, it ispossible for trainees to transfer fromone specialisation to another withouthaving to re-train in their newspecialisation from the very start. Thisability to transfer qualificationsbetween disciplines improves accessto training while increasing theflexibility of the workforce and
enabling demand for skilled em-ployees in high growth sectors to bemet more quickly and easily.
Assessment of competence isanother vital attribute of the NVQsystem. The NCVQ itself does notcarry out training or examinations, butit does accredit courses based on thestandards of competence they enabletrainees to achieve. These standardsof competence are set by a 'lead body'made up of employers, industryorganisations and trade unions toreflect the real skills needs ofindustry. As a result, NVQs reflect anindividual's true abilities rather thanthe number and/or duration oftraining courses attended. Foremployers, this emphasis on com-petence makes recruitment of theright staff capable of carrying out aspecific job both more effective andfaster. For employees, an NVQ, or unitof an NVQ, makes job huntingsignificantly easier by providingconcrete evidence of their abilitiesand achievements.
The development of the NVQsystem also has important conse-quences for career development.Having satisfied the criteria for oneLevel, trainees can progress step bystep up the ladder. This gives newentrants the opportunity to progressas far as their abilities and ambitioncan take them without encounteringartificial distinctions between craftand professional skills. The introduc-tion of four different NVQ levels in theshipbuilding industry, for example,gives trainees an identifiable, butflexible, career route from initialtraining to managerial level. Approvalof training courses at NVQ Level II(regular) covering activities such asfitting and machinery were issued inOctober 1989. The first performancerelated qualifications introduced inthe semi-skilled area, they provide animportant 'bridge' between the semi-skilled and professional aspects ofengineering.
As advantages of NCVQ becomemore well-known, what has happenedin shipbuilding is almost certain to berepeated across the engineeringindustry. Already the NCVQ and theEngineering Council have issued astatement (see box) of intent commit-ting each other to co-operation in
promoting competence based qualifi-cations.
While the very breadth of theengineering sector means that there issome way to go before competencebased qualifications are in placethroughout the industry, there is nodoubt that the momentum to establishand adopt NVQs is growing. TheNCVQ is already discussing possibleareas of co-operation with the RoadTransport Industry Training Board,the Process Industries ConsultativeGroup and other similar bodies. Butthe National council operates a verymuch 'open door' policy which meansthat anyone concerned with training,
including companies, trade unions,training organisations and industrybodies can all have an opportunity tomake their contribution to a processthat will change the face of vocationaltraining.
According to Peter Thompson:"The growth of the NVQ system willhave a significant impact on those inthe engineering industry. We believethat industry involvement is crucial tomaking the most of a system that willhave such a direct bearing on thesuccess and prosperity of Britishengineering. There is no doubt thatNVQs are the future. We shouldfashion that future together."
MANUFACTURING ENGINEER FEBRUARY 1990
^ E W S F E E D
OPTICAL FIBRES LEAD THE WAYA TECHNIQUE devised by Ken Owen,now of Vector Technology, Stanstedin Essex, of transmitting light throughoptical fibres, should provide asignificant step in simplifying the useof laser interferometers for machinecontrol.
It is now quite common for highprecision machines, such as thoseused for diamond turning, gearmeasurement and semi-conductorphoto-lithography, to be controlled bytwo, three and even four laserinterferometers. These machines canbe small and intricate, making lightpaths from the laser to the interfer-ometers complicated, or else they arelarge so that when they move theymay not behave like rigid structuresbut flex considerably until they reachtheir next stationary position. Conse-quently, in traditional interferometersystems where prisms and mirrorsare used to direct the light, setting ormaintaining light paths is difficult andon some of the largest machines, ithas been known for the light to missthe interferometer completely duringmotion.
The technique devised by Ken
Owen uses an optical fibre whichreplaces the prisms and mirrors.While this sounds simple enough, therequirements of a fibre system arequite complex. To be of any use itmust maintain the properties of thelaser source, which are keeping thelight waves in phase and preservingthe polarisation, and it must alsoprevent any back reflections from thesystem re-entering the laser cavityand causing the frequency of the lightto become unstable. In addition tothese optical requirements, light hasto enter the fibre and continue to enterover very long periods and underconditions of constant movement oreven vibration.
The final design not only met theseconditions but achieved a high launchefficiency under all conditions. It alsoshowed no great loss of launchintegrity when the fibre was dis-connected and reconnected orreplaced. Nor was the final beamposition affected regardless of howintricately the fibre needed to becoiled around a machine.
The degree of flexibility not onlysaves considerable time during
assembly but also dispenses with thetime consuming problems of periodicand accurate mirror realignmentwhich are often required duringservice when traditional optical sys-tems are used.
This optical fibre technique can be•applied to almost any single fre-quency interferometer system, butcannot be used with heterodyne or
doppler interferometers where twofrequencies of light are used havingopposite polarisations. This develop-ment is a further step towardsmeeting the exacting demandsrequired from the new generation ofprecision machine tools.Dr Tony Smith CEng FIProdEFor more information circleME 42
RECRUITMENTFAIR
OK, so your production line is inchaos; your CNC lathe has gonebeserk; your customers are beating atthe doors and your top engineer hasjust emigrated to Tuscany, which is inItaly. Where do you go to fill thatcrucial gap and, more important still,fill it with someone who can do it well?
Failing a small ad in the DudleyExaminer, the Mechanical, Electricaland Production Engineer RecruitmentFair is the ideal solution! Sponsoredby your very own ManufacturingEngineer, as well as other, onlyslightly less illustrious publications,such as Electrical Review, ElectricalTimes, Engineering News and Profes-sional Engineering.
It all happens at the luxury venueof the Novotel in Hammersmith,London, on Friday 9th and Saturday10th of June 1990.
So what can you expect from theFair? Organisers, Intro UK, says that
"recruitment fairs are the mostcost-effective way of recruiting intoday's most highly competitivehuman resource marketplaces".
This fair is aimed at helpingemployers suffering a shortage ofskilled engineers. There will be asubstantial advertising campaign topromote the fair, in both TradeJournals and National Press. Thoseseeking an engineering position willfind a plethora of eager, potentialemployers, all keen to recruit face toface, rather than having to go throughthe process of sifting through applica- •tion forms and CVs. Success rates atinterview following interest at pre-vious fairs was said to be substan-tially higher than through otherrecruitment methods, according toemployers who took part.
For more information aboutbooking stand space or about the fairitself, contact Intro on (0491) 410222.
SEMINARTHE IProdE is running a one-dayseminar at the Coventry Crest Hotel inCoventry on 16 May, the purpose ofwhich is to inform the manufacturingcommunity about the latest develop-ments in machining practices andtooling systems.
Speakers from a variety of com-panies will address the broad spec-trum of topics in this area. Papersalready pencilled in include ToolingSystems, given by Krupp Widia;Control Systems, given by Siemens;New Cutting Methods, given byCulham Laboratories; and two papersfrom the Cranfield Institute onMachine Structures and on SystemProving.
In support of the seminar there willalso be a mini exhibition of mainplayers in the tooling world. Currentbookings include stands fromDeVlieg, DBC, Krupp Widia, MorrisTooling, Feldmuhle, Centreline, Sand-vik, SecoandR HSymonds.
Fees for delegates are £115 for
members and £145 for non members.For more information on the seminar,please contact the Conference Depart-ment at Rochester House; for moredetails of the exhibition, pleasecontact David Houchin at RochesterHouse.
WORKINGPARTY
THE Institution of Production Engi-neers is co-sponsoring the NationalIndustrial Building Audit (NIBA).
In order to put forward the users'viewpoint, the IProdE is to form aWorking Party of interested andqualified members to determine therequirements for manufacturingspace and respond to the NIBA.
Would any member willing tobecome a member of the WorkingParty please forward their name and abrief statement on how they couldcontribute to B J Lewis, TechnicalDirector, Rochester House, 66 LittleEaling Lane, London W5 4XX.
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MANUFACTURING ENGINEER FEBRUARY 1990
