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Identifying an imminent skills shortage within the glass fiber polymer (GRP) and composites industry, Norco (Poole, Dorset, U.K.) says it made the contingent decision to start in-house training. This planning ensured that the company would continue to run at full production capacity to meet its customers’ schedules. The company specializes in large composite structures and GRP moldings globally.

Using its experienced and skilled employees, Norco has steered the training program towards a more traditional mentor-and-trainee approach, with the primary objective of producing a high-level trainee in the shortest timescale possible. Norco also emphasizes quality over quantity, believing that the most important thing is to ensure that the people who come through the company’s doors are prepared for the challenge ahead of them.

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Norco has updated both laminating and finishing training schedules to accommodate the trainee and business needs. Once the trainees have reached a certain level on their schedules, they progress from the training center to a small boat production line. There they buddy up with a mentor to gain confidence in the procedures through a repeated process — a boat is a three- to four-day process from start to release, where trainees can repeat the basic processes to build most GRP structures, which include gel coat application; CSM consolidation; fabric consolidation; and core bonding.

Trainees spend around 20 weeks on the small boat production line to gain complete proficiency in basic application and knowledge. They are then transferred to the company skills matrix so their development path can be monitored throughout their training.

“We have been very fortunate to utilize Chris Trowbridge in laminating and Neil Ancell in finishing as mentors, who are both highly respected members of staff,” Shaun Beauchamp, head of training, says. “We have begun to rotate the laminating mentors every three months and are pleased to have both Steve Darby and Carl Randle coming forward for the role. Pending on the schedules, this will continue to strengthen our training, help cover leave and will give development opportunities to our more experienced staff.”

If you are interested in becoming a trainee, please .