Despite the disruptions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, training remains firmly at the forefront of SMC Corporation’s customer value proposition.
SMC Corporation Australia New Zealand Head of Field Sales William Lebihan.
SMC Corporation Head of Field Sales William Lebihan explains: “SMC backs all our products with training. We believe that the more our customers know, the more effective and efficient their applications will be. In addition to basic product training, we offer pneumatic, hydraulic and mechatronics courses, and we also sell training equipment to universities and technical institutions.”
In addition to on-site training at both SMC’s offices and on their customers’ premises, SMC together with Outsource Institute (AUS) introduced a blended learning initiative in 2020.
“The shift towards virtual support has been embraced by our company the world over. Learners (customers) who attend SMC’s training courses are no longer required to leave their place of work for five consecutive days. Thanks to this new offering, theory can be done from the comfort of their homes or offices while a day and a half is allocated to the practical component of the course,” adds Mr Lebihan.
This blended solution offers flexibility and highlights in more practical terms what SMC’s International Training Division can offer its customers.
“Learners also have access to a wealth of free materials such as product animations and other downloads,” says Mr Lebihan. “There’s also a host of information that can be accessed via SMC International Training’s LinkedIn page.”
Has Industry 4.0 upped the ante?
Moving with the times, Mr Lebihan adds that training linked to IO-link capabilities and Industry 4.0 technologies are in high demand.
“Learners can access a factory of the future training system and interact directly via a virtual connection,” he says.
Courses and qualifications on offer via Outsource Institute (Aus)
SMC’s P1 & P2 Pneumatics Training Courses are aligned to the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF). Outsource Institute is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and provides training and assessment in the units of competency MEM18018 (P1) & MEM18019 (P2) which form part of the Certificate IV in Engineering.
“Upon successful completion, students can either be awarded a National Recognised Statement of Attainment for one of both units’ competencies. Alternatively, they can continue to work towards completing the Certificate IV in Engineering,” says Mr Lebihan.
