Vericut software helps apprentices become industry ready

Apprentices at GET first learn manual machining before progressing to CNC

Recent investment in Vericut verification, simulation and optimisation software is helping apprentices at Gloucestershire Engineering Training (GET) raise their CNC machining skills to new levels. The introduction of Vericut has proved so successful that the first cohort of learners shared positive feedback directly with the organisation’s CEO, requesting the software remain part of the curriculum and undergo further integration.

GET, which has been designing and delivering engineering training for large and small employers since 1977, operates from its headquarters and main facility in Gloucester, supported by a satellite site at nearby Cinderford.

Jake Weatherley, training and maintenance manager at GET, said: “Our apprenticeship programmes and commercial training courses are tailored to suit the needs of both industry and individual learners. This means our students are work-ready from the minute they finish training. We also operate as part of the GTA England training network, sharing best practice and helping to develop apprenticeships and curriculums.”

An independent training provider and registered charity with 52 staff, GET welcomed 164 Level 3 and Level 4 apprentices in the current academic year (2025/26), all of whom have positions at companies within its growing network of more than 100 employers.

Pictured right: GET is a Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing

Mr Weatherley continued: “We first met with Vericut in 2023, and it really opened our eyes. We instantly saw the software’s potential. We had always taught CNC as G-code programming, typing codes into Notepad and then transferring to the machine and watching a 2-D toolpath simulation.

However, it is often difficult for learners to visualise what the machine and cutter are doing. Vericut, with its complete digital model of the machine and its setup, brings machining to life. It is a huge benefit for our learners.”

Vericut features the most accurate collision-checking routine on the market, sweeping through the entire travel motion rather than simply checking points along a path. Mr Weatherley added: “Vericut provides a fantastic safety net. We are teaching machining to young learners, which is quite a big responsibility.

“Checking every line of every learner’s program before it runs on the machine is intense. Vericut not only provides confidence in safe programs, but it also gives me more time to spend with learners rather than checking code. The simulation quickly shows if there are any collisions and where.”

Vericut coming into its own
The Gloucester facility houses two Haas TM-1 CNC toolroom milling machines, a Haas Super Mini Mill with automatic tool-changer, on-board probing and high-speed spindle, and two Haas ST-10 CNC lathes. GET has also ordered another Haas Super Mini Mill with a fourth axis and a Haas UMC-400 five-axis CNC machining centre.

Pictured left: Jake Weatherley using Vericut on Haas machine

Mr Weatherley said: “Vericut is really coming into its own at GET. We of course still teach manual G-code programming but, through consultation with our employer network, CAD/CAM, 3+2-axis machining, rotating parts and simultaneous operations are increasingly part of the requirement. Our new machines will be integrated with Vericut ready for our September 2026 apprentice intake. We are also in the process of setting up our Haas lathes for use with the software.”

By the time apprentices reach CNC training at Gloucestershire Engineering Training (GET), they have already completed Level 2 and Level 3 milling and turning on manual machines.

Mr Weatherley explained: “Learners are introduced to CNC via absolute and incremental programming, programming point-to-point and learning about sub routines, tool changes, safe moves and so on. Typically, the learners begin by machining simple 2-D profiles from plastic or aluminium, working towards assessment tasks. For milling, these assessments might include profiling, chamfering, pocketing, drilling and CAM cycles, for example.”

Vericut lets learners know
Learners initially program parts in Notepad before transferring them to a Haas Simulator to view tool paths. Mr Weatherley continued: “Vericut fits in the step between. The Haas simulator is brilliant for checking that the program syntax is correct for our Haas machines. However, while it shows the tool paths, it will not tell you if you are roughing out with a drill, for example. In contrast, Vericut simulation shows very clearly any errors or collisions; it lets learners know if they called up the wrong tool or applied unsafe clearances.”

Pictured right: Michael Crilley, skills training instructor and former GET apprentice using Vericut

This progressive training organisation is a clear innovator, investing in the latest technologies to help its learners become the best version possible of ‘industry-ready’. This ethos underpins GET’s success and growth, evidenced by the recent opening of a new higher education facility at a neighbouring unit.

The move was funded by a grant from the Gene Haas Foundation, which has recognised GET as one of the few training centres in the UK to become a designated Gene Haas Centre for Advanced Manufacturing. With ‘state of the art’ training rooms, breakout areas and quiet study spaces, the new Gene Haas Centre enables GET to support more Level 4 apprenticeships and HNC/D learners than ever before.

The grant has also allowed GET to expand its existing training workshop, developing the mechatronics curriculum to include pneumatic and hydraulic training. GET recruits and trains learners for companies both large and small across the Gloucestershire engineering sector, including ABB, GE Aerospace, Konecranes, Moog, Renishaw, Safran, Spirax Sarco, Royal Mail, Walls and Trelleborg, among others.

Mr Weatherley concluded: “Vericut is massively supportive in GET’s continuous improvement initiatives. Our instructors had their initial Vericut training days at the Manufacturing Training Centre (MTC) in Coventry, but the on-site training delivered by Vericut here in Gloucester was particularly beneficial. Since then, Vericut helped us set up digital models of our machines and is always asking if we need further assistance. Their willingness to support our progress and success is second to none.”