It was 55 years ago today...

Celebrating the 55th anniversary of SWDT

Fifty-five years ago today South West Durham Training was officially opened by WWII RAF fighter ace Group Captain Douglas Bader.

Thousands of talented and successful engineers cut their teeth here and we continue today to offer first class training for the region's engineering and manufacturing sector.

We have dug into the archives to look back over the past six decades since December 15, 1967...

The history of SWDT

South West Durham Training was a product of the 1964 Industrial Training Act.

Poor training had been blamed for Britain’s relatively lacklustre post-war economic performance and the problem looked set to escalate when the children of the post-war baby boom left school in the 1960s.

The Act placed levies on larger companies and the money was given back to those who agreed to take on apprentices. It was a simple but very effective method of ensuring the factories, mines and railways could draw upon a steady stream of skilled labour.

A group of the larger companies in the Darlington and Aycliffe area, including Underground Mining Machinery (UMM), Chrysler Cummins Engines, Torrington Bearings, Darchem and Toledo Woodhead Springs, joined forces to set up a new training centre that would provide them with state-of-the-art training facilities.

With training board backing a centre was built at Aycliffe, staffed by skilled craftsman and overseen by an unpaid executive council of local company directors. The centre was extended in 1969 and again in 1975 in response to growing demand from local companies. By the late 1970s it was turning out more than 200 apprentices every year.

Towards the end of the 1980s the Industrial Training Boards were wound down and the levy system was abolished. After falling into disrepair SWDT was given a new lease of life in the 1990s.

In 1994 Nissan managing director John Cushnaghan opened a new extension which doubled the size of the centre and provided a new area for electrical and mechanical maintenance training and the first fork lift training bay.

In 1998 due to demand for material handling training a new extension was opened by BBC reporter Kate Adie.

In 2011, in a bid to keep up with the demands of advanced manufacturing, a £3.6m high-tech extension was opened.

Accreditation

SWDT was the first training centre in the country to gain Centre of Vocational Excellence status in 2002. The Chief Inspector of Adult Learning in his annual report that year described SWDT as ‘world class’. In 2014 Ofsted graded SWDT as ‘outstanding’ in all four areas: overall effectiveness, outcomes for learners, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and effectiveness of leadership and management. It was the first member of the Group Training Association of England ever to have received an outstanding grade across all areas of provision.

The official 1967 launch event

On 15th December 1967 WWII RAF fighter ace Sir Douglas Bader performed the official ceremony. The team setting up the centre had approached Sir Francis Chichester, fresh from becoming the first solo yachtsman to circumnavigate of the world, to cut the ribbon.

His unavailability saw Brian Bean, one of the centre's first instructors, draw on his RAF connections to call on another war hero for the grand opening.

Brian, who worked for 32 years at the centre, knew from his National Service days James “Ginger” Lacey who, during the Battle of Britain, shot down one of the bombers that had attacked Buckingham Palace. Through him they persuaded Douglas Bader to come up!

Alumni

SWDT has had more than 10,000 young engineers through its doors over its 55-year history, many of whom work in senior positions as far afield as Australia, the US, China and Dubai.

Former apprentices include:

• Stewart Wingate, CEO Gatwick Airport
• Mike Matthews MBE, Former MD of Nifco UK
• Jim Moir (Vic Reeves), actor, comedian, artist
• Stuart Bunce, Group Vice President of Operations Chiaphua, Hong Kong
• Jonathon White, Executive Director Cummins Inc, Indiana, USA
• Caraline Robinson, Operations Director Husqvarna UK
• Colin Thirlaway, Director of Global Product Compliance Stanley Black & Decker

SWDT today

Today SWDT works with major engineering and manufacturing employers across the North-East. Apprenticeship packages and commercial programmes are tailored to the demands of these and other local employers, with training offered from Level 1 and 2 through to higher education provision at Level 4 and 5.

Our full-time course offer includes a selection from the following:

• Engineering Level 1
• Engineering Level 2 (Electrical and Mechanical or Fabrication and Welding)
• Level 3 (Fabrication and Welding or Extended Diploma in Engineering 180 credits)
• Level 2 Diploma in Electrical Installation (QCF)
• Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installation
• Level 1 Diploma in Plumbing Studies
• Level 2 Diploma in Plumbing and Heating
• Level 3 Diploma in Domestic Plumbing and Heating
• T Level - Technical Qualification in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing

The four courses we offer at Level 4 HNC and Level 5 HND:
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• General Engineering (Mechatronics)

We offer a range of apprenticeships including:

• Engineering, design and draughtsperson
• Machinist/engineering technician
• Maintenance operations engineering technician
• Engineering fabrication and welding
• Plumbing and gas.

We also offer a Level 4 Engineering Manufacturing Technician apprenticeship and a wide range of commercial training courses.