Armada Engineering, a marine engineering company based in Falmouth, has launched the first training centre for hydraulics in the south west.
The company has been approved as an accredited training centre by the British Fluid Power Association (BFPA), the UK trade association for the fluid power industry.
The Armada Engineering Skills Academy has been developed in partnership with Cornwall Marine Network (CMN) and is a CMN Centre of Excellence, part-funded by the European Social Fund.
Armada Engineering specialises in advanced engineering and hydraulics for the marine industry. In addition to its head office in Falmouth, it has an engineering centre in Barcelona in Spain to service superyachts in the Mediterranean.
MD, Joff Collins, said: “There is a skills shortage in engineering across the UK and we want to help boost engineering skills in Cornwall and the south west. This will help enable the region to cement a position at the forefront of marine technology, an area where we already excel.
“Our new training centre in Falmouth is the only place in the south west to offer this accredited foundation course in hydraulics. Up until now, people would have needed to travel a significant distance for equivalent training.
“We are proud that it will be one of the first employer-led training centres as part of CMN’s Centres for Excellence Programme.”
CMN chief executive, Paul Wickes, added: “Hydraulics is a vital skill for marine engineering and wider engineering applications such as wind turbines. We are delighted to see Armada launching this new BFPA training centre in Cornwall. This makes hydraulics training more accessible for people and companies wanting to develop. Unlike most other industries, the hydraulic industry has no minimum qualification requirements.
“So, the purpose of the course and BFPA qualification is to establish an industry standard for training. This will ultimately increase knowledge and safety, enabling the full potential of this vital technology to be realised.”
To apply for the course, email enquiries@armadaglobal.co.uk
