Targeting £2m EV opportunity

boosting our capacity for manufacturing bonded stacks.” allow us to support our global customer base with the production of prototype and small series production bonded stators and rotors with the best possible lead times.

He continued: “Sales are up about 20% over the last two years, so now is the perfect time to invest in our factory and make sure we position ourselves for the next five to ten years of growth.

“Having the additional wire erosion capabilities will also support the highly complex and intricate parts we are increasingly working on, not to mention

“There is significant interest in electrification as the automotive sector looks to get ahead of the game with the ban on combustion engines in new cars coming into play in 2030 and the energy sector continuing its growth.

“Our precision engineering capabilities are perfect for producing busbars, stators and rotors that will help power the vehicles of the future.”

8 hvwooding.co.uk

One of the UK’s leading automotive suppliers has joined forces with In-Comm Training to boost its learning and development offer and support employee retention.

Gestamp, which manufactures metal components for use in car body structures, has invested in a dedicated training centre at its plant in Four Ashes in Wolverhampton.

The six classrooms are being used to deliver Lean Manufacturing Apprenticeships for a minimum of 60 existing Team Members every year, as well as a host of other development activities designed to increase the skills base of its 650-strong workforce.

The Gestamp Training Centre (GTC) took twelve months to develop and houses two In-Comm Training experts, as well as Gestamp training specialists to oversee the Level 2 course that combines theory with significant practical training on the shopfloor.

Recruited from all production areas within the business, staff undertake a 10-week programme of training before completing an improvement project on the shopfloor and an endpoint assessment.

This project has been supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority, allowing Gestamp access to unspent levy funding by other organisations to use the apprenticeship model to develop existing staff and new recruits.

The longer-term vision for the facility is that it will grow its offering to employees in