Working with Tomorrow’s Mechanics

In order to put further weight behind its commitment to industry training, Chicago Pneumatic has launched a college sponsorship initiative through which the company will provide student groups access to good quality products and raise awareness of some of the challenges within the vehicle service sector.

Most recently, Chicago Pneumatic visited Wirral Metropolitan College near Liverpool and met with a group of first year student mechanics. “The idea behind the scheme is to make students aware of some of the challenges we face in the vehicle service sector today, provide some best-practice tips and also provide more practical tips, like what they should look out for and consider when buying tools,” commented Paul Humphreys, Chicago Pneumatic Vehicle Service global communications manager.

After a quick hands-on session showing the students some of the different types of tools available on the market, such as the CP7740 lightweight impact wrench, students were given a presentation outlining a few essentials of the industry including: what to look for when buying products; some of the challenges the industry faces today, such as vibration problems and how damaging this can be to mechanics; and the serious consequences of incidents involving vehicle wheel loss and how an investment in good quality products can help minimise this.

Following on from this successful session, Chicago Pneumatic is providing tooling for the college to use in its workshop and has committed itself to sponsoring the college’s ‘student of the year programme’. The company has donated a selection of tools as a prize for the lucky winner.

Maintaining its commitment to student learning and training, Chicago Pneumatic is also investigating the possibility to provide all students who qualify with a discounted starter pack as soon as they graduate from college, thereby giving them a helpful step into a competitive industry.

Mike Smith, lecturer at the Wirral Metropolitan College said, “the students were very pleased with Chicago Pneumatic’s presentation, which gave them some pointers on getting on in the work place. The knowledge of the industry and the tools that Chicago Pneumatic provided were first class and I couldn’t have hoped for a better reception from the attendees. ”

Humphrey comments, “we feel it is vital to provide the best advice we can to trainees because it will guide them while they work to achieve their qualifications. The combination of the right tools and the right people can achieve fantastic results.”