NPTC Group of Colleges’ has significantly upgraded the capacity and capabilities of its two engineering departments at Neath College and Newtown College with a series of investments in new, high-performance manual machine tools supplied by Bristol-based MACH Machine Tools Ltd.

Since 2012, MACH Machine Tools, a leading CNC and manual machine tool and machine shop equipment supplier to UK and Irish manufacturers and educational institutions, part of the Vigilance Group, has supplied NPTC Group of Colleges (formerly Neath Port Talbot College and Coleg Powys) with over 30 manual machines in total.

The latest arrivals, a significant investment package featuring seven MACH VS-1SP mills, nine MACH L-1340 lathes and two MACH SB30 drills, were installed at Neath and Newtown Campus facilities in March 2021 and are being used to deliver first-class machining knowledge and skills to the colleges’ full-time and part-time engineering students.

The investment reflects NPTC’s commitment to create world-class engineering workshops at both campuses and to help it raise its profile and further differentiate its course provision and learning pathways with key audiences that include young people, local and regional employers and the wider community.

The machine-tool acquisition is significant for NPTC and one that reinforces its ‘Centre of Engineering Excellence’ status - it is also equally significant for MACH Machine Tools, and supports the company’s position as a leading provider to schools, colleges and universities.

High-performance manual machines
The two engineering workshops at Neath and Newtown Colleges have become best-in-class reference sites for MACH Machine Tools, where its considerable range of high-performance manual machines can be showcased to large and small engineering companies and component manufacturers in Wales.

David Andrew, Vigilance Group CEO, said: “NPTC Group of Colleges is one of the largest Further Education providers in Wales. NPTC’s engineering course provision – ranging from Level 1, 2 and 3 Mechanical Engineering full-time courses through to its part-time HNC programmes of study – is popular with young people and adults alike.

“It is also highly regarded by local and regional employers who rely on NPTC to deliver the off-the-job training elements of their respective apprenticeship programmes. It is great news that our manual machine tools are used and endorsed by such a leading FE/HE provider.”

There is, and always has been much debate in the UK about making careers in engineering, and manufacturing in general, more attractive and appealing to young people. Running parallel to these discussions is a recognition, made more acute by the impact and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and by the ramifications of Brexit, that UK manufacturing needs to become more resilient, more productive and more competitive.

However, a major stumbling block to achieving these objectives remains the perennial skills shortage issue, experienced by many manufacturers and engineering companies in particular.

Steve Welch, senior engineering lecturer Neath and Port Talbot College (NPTC Group), said: “We operate in a competitive environment where young people have a number of choices open to them at 16, 17, 18 and beyond. We clearly need to be attracting top talent into manufacturing and engineering on a macro level and because we are an integral and important element of the education and training supply chain, need to attract highly motivated and dedicated students on to our courses.

“It is the same situation for local engineering and manufacturing companies in the region who, to ensure their long-term growth and prosperity, need access and the ability to recruit skilled staff. Critical to young people’s, students and manufacturing companies’ decision-making, are the training facilities we have at our disposal.”

Continuous improvement
He continued: “We are committed to continuous improvement and have robust and proven procurement systems and processes in place, that ensure we meet our new technology investment objectives and we have a good relationship with MACH Machine Tools that stretches back 10 years.

“MACH Machine Tools submitted a competitive and favourable tender that represented real value and included a number of advantages that the other suppliers we approached could not match. Continuing the investment in MACH machine tools means that all students have access to, and are taught on, the same, high-performance machines – a real benefit from both a teaching and learning perspective.

“In summary, MACH Machine Tools was able to, deliver, install and commission the new machine tools quickly and efficiently, and it was this straightforward, efficient and seamless process from a single source supplier, that really helped seal the deal.”

Mr Welch concluded: “We are delighted with our latest MACH machines. They look the part and, as expected, they do the business too. Our relationship with MACH Machine Tools continues to go from strength-to-strength. Not only has the company supplied us with class-leading, competitively-priced equipment, it has also become actively involved in the wider operation of our engineering departments – supplying us with MACH-branded workwear for students and sponsoring our apprentice awards programme — it is a true partnership.”