Low Carbon Manufacturing
Project overview
To support the move to greener technologies, two state-of-the-art, low carbon Virtual Reality (VR) hubs are available at both Accrington and Rossendale College and Nelson and Colne College as well as a mobile VR unit that can be taken direct to local businesses, schools, events and roadshows.
These new VR facilities have been developed in partnership with employers and skills providers to address the future skills required by industry to tackle the low carbon agenda.
With wraparound sound and vision, the VR facilities offer an immersive experience – able to recreate realistic scenarios, training and education both on and off-site.
An Introduction to the Low Carbon Manufacturing Project (Video)
Delivery partnership
Alongside our partner colleges – Blackburn College, Lancaster & Morecambe College and Preston College – the Nelson and Colne Colleges Group developed the project in partnership with the National College for Nuclear, Advanced Manufacturing and Research Centre (AMRC), Rolls Royce and a range of local and national employers involved in developing low carbon manufacturing.
Project aims
Through the establishment of these new VR platforms, the project aims to support the College Group and businesses by offering:
• A state-of-the-art creative hub for employers to utilise for customer engagement, collaboration, demonstrations, sales meetings and design reviews etc.
• Training of staff using an immersive environment to familiarise themselves with a product, site, or situation – inductions, health and safety, product or site awareness.
• Reducing the need for travel and more impactful training through real life simulation of essential processes and tasks.
• Embedding digital and collaborative skills for current and future workforces ready to embrace future technologies.
There will be a number of training packages that employers can access as well as the opportunity to develop any bespoke packages to meet specific business needs.
Results
Through the project, we will:
• Help to ensure businesses are ahead of the curve, achieve growth, shape their current workforce and attract new talent.
• Utilise the technology to better sell their organisation/product and make their business more efficient.
• Identify the training and retraining needs of adult learners and allow transition into employment / hard to fill vacancies.
• Engage school children with STEM content and awareness of careers in the sector.
“The project will enable employers to use this fantastic technology to develop their workforce to tackle the challenges of the net zero agenda. AMRC North West are excited to be collaborating with Nelson and Colne College Group and partners to support SMEs to make their businesses more efficient”