Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 17
Former SWDT apprentice Lee Childs has returned
to the training provider as its new chief executive.
FORMER APPRENTICE
RETURNS AS CHIEF EXEC
OF TRAINING PROVIDER
A former apprentice at a Newton Aycliffe training provider has returned
to take over the reins as chief executive.
After leaving school, Lee Childs joined
Black & Decker in Spennymoor as an
engineering apprentice and spent his first
three months learning basic skills at South
West Durham Training on Aycliffe Business
Park.
Now, 16 years later, he has returned to
take over as chief executive from Trevor Alley,
who has retired after a successful two years
at the helm which saw SWDT named one of
the highest performing engineering training
providers in the country.
Lee completed his formal engineering
qualifications at Darlington College and
Northumbria University and, after six years
at Black & Decker, he enrolled on a teaching
course at Darlington College which led to
a nine-year career with the college, during
which Lee was promoted to overall head of
engineering and automotive technology.
Forging fresh links with SWDT, Lee jointly
developed new apprenticeship frameworks
which led to new partnerships with some of
the region’s biggest employers, including 3M,
Glaxo, Cummins and Hitachi.
Lee, from Shildon, said: “I am an engineer
– that’s my background, that’s what I
trained as – and I’m very passionate about
apprenticeship training and vocational skills.
High quality apprenticeships are an absolute
must for the future success of manufacturing
and engineering in the country; we need to
invest in the training of young people.
“Our trainees are equally passionate – they
come here to secure jobs and we want to
get them all into employment while providing
the training services our employers need.”
In July 2014 SWDT received an
‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report, receiving the
top grade in all four categories: overall
effectiveness; outcomes for learners; quality
of teaching, learning and assessment; and
effectiveness of leadership and management.
Bishop Auckland College and SWDT
announced a new partnership last year which
saw SWDT become a subsidiary of the
college while continuing to trade under its
own brand as a separate registered charity.
New joint initiatives include a commercial
gas centre offering training for the Gas Safe
Register for the domestic and industrial
markets, an electrical installation centre
offering training in Part P testing, and a new
Level 3 plumbing course.
Lee added: “South West Durham Training
is in a solid position and we are looking
forward to more good results this year.
“Moving forward the intention is to
consolidate the (Ofsted) Grade 1 status of
the training centre in terms of success rates
and outcomes for our learners, and work in
partnership with local employers to ensure
we continue to meet their emerging training
needs.”
SWDT employs 27 staff and has more than
350 learners, including apprentices and full
time students. It also delivers commercial
training to hundreds of people each year on
courses ranging from forklift truck driving
to 17th edition and inspection and testing.
Last month the centre welcomed new
apprentices from Hitachi, Cummins, Glaxo,
3M, Cleveland Bridge and Nifco. All are on
engineering/manufacturing programmes
with bespoke elements required by their
employer, including hydraulics, pneumatics,
electrical, fabrication and welding.
Welcoming Lee Childs’ appointment,
SWDT chairman Andy Dunn, general
manager of engineering at Nifco UK in
Stockton, said: “His vast engineering
experience is underpinned by a huge passion
for apprenticeships and skills development;
it is this combination which will see him
continue to build on the great achievements
of the centre to date. As an added extra, he
is from the local area with an apprenticeship
background of his own - Lee is someone
that our young people will really be able to
resonate with; a great choice as successor to
Trevor Alley.”
SWDT was founded in 1967 to provide
training for local manufacturing and
engineering companies and today offers a
wide range of courses including electrical
safety, hydraulics, pneumatics, welding,
turning, forklift operation, advanced CNC,
NEBOSH, PAT, first aid at work and working
at heights.
The training offer includes apprenticeships
and advanced apprenticeships in mechanical
& electrical engineering, toolmaking, and
fabrication & welding. Commercial short
courses range from half day to six days, and
the BTEC 1st