2021 Directory

50 www.bfpa.co.uk of training schemes such as the BFPA’s hose courses was one of the main reasons Abdex decided to invest in the new training facility at its main premises in Leighton Buzzard,” he says. “The training courses we hold, in collaboration with the BFPA and BFPDA, regularly attract a broad range of delegates from companies active in many different sectors, including construction, agriculture and offshore. They are always well-attended, and I believe this is testament both to the quality of the courses, the modern facilities Abdex has and the skill, knowledge and experience of BFPA/BFPDA-affiliated trainers such as Steve Dilks and Jim Martin. I am always fascinated by the way the trainers can both keep rigidly to the curriculum of each course, as well as go ‘off-piste’ and address delegates’ own particular queries in considerable detail and with equal ease.” Gunter’s perception is that the Association’s hose training courses are now becoming not only nationally but internationally. “I think the team at the BFPA and BFPDA have done an excellent job in formulating and promoting the training courses and getting across the message that these courses – as well as other important Association initiatives such as the passport scheme – are there for the industry in order to encourage best practice,” he says. “The courses have been carefully compiled drawing on the expert knowledge of many different companies in our industry, many of whose representatives sit on the Association’s technical committees. In fact, I think the atmosphere of camaraderie at these meetings, as well as the commitment to further the interests of the industry as a whole rather than become too focused on the direct interests of own companies has to be applauded.” The skills issue In terms of industry challenges within fluid power solutions distribution, Simpson says it has been well documented that experience within the industry is faltering as one generation comes to the end of its working life. “The conveyor belt isn’t swelling with ‘hands- on’ experience,” he remarks. “Various training academies and centres are cropping up but it does not seem to be plugging the gaps as technology comes more and more to the forefront of our industry. This means technical knowledge of systems becomes a greater commodity than product/applications.” Dunlop is also very mindful that there is a shortage of skills in our industry. “We address this issue head-on by giving our own people the skills they need to provide the best possible service and support to customers, thereby ensuring we continue to thrive as a business,” he explains. “Within our own Training Academy, for example, we are now teaching electrical circuitry as well as hydraulics and pneumatics. So, our workforce now has a varied pool of skills to use on the job and potentially to use in order to further their own career path and thereby help to safeguard the future of our industry. In this way, it becomes more engaging and interesting for the trainees as well as allowing us as a company to offer a more all-embracing service to customers. Initiatives such as the Primary and Secondary Engineer Programmes, which the BFPA has been encouraging, are definitely a move in the right direction, engaging with students in their school and showing them what type of STEM- based careers are available.” Similarly, Gunter also observes there is a skills gap within the fluid power industry, and the engineering sector in general. “The image of our industry can be less glamorous than that of a career in IT, for example, but what if often forgotten is that fluid power solutions will still be around after the ‘zombie apocalypse’ and therefore pursuing a job in our industry can prove to be a sensible and safe career decision. Also, on the subject of IT, digital technology is playing an increasingly important role in our industry from a connectivity and data perspective. We all hear about the business and operational benefits of Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, the Industrial Internet of Things and the Factory of the Future, for example. So, there is an increasing diversity of skillsets being applied to fluid power, and I would like to think that this has the potential to attract more young people, thereby helping to secure the long-term prosperity of our industry.” Digitalisation Dunlop observes that modern technology is fast becoming an intrinsic part of the fluid power industry. “We are hearing more cases where digital technologies are transforming the way companies and service providers are able to operate and