Xtrac opens new training academy

Berkshire-based transmission specialist Xtrac has launched of a dedicated apprenticeship facility at its global headquarters in Thatcham.

The new training facility, which includes a CAE classroom and adjoining practical skills workshop, will provide hands-on manufacturing and computer-aided engineering skills training for apprentices, focused on Xtrac’s unique products.

The first cohort are expected to embark on an 18-48-month education, which will see them work in up to 16 company departments, later this year.

Xtrac’s apprentice manager, Warren Page, said: “The ongoing benefit of a dedicated Xtrac Academy to both Xtrac and its apprentices is the breadth of learning and practical experience they will accrue during their training.  Engineering increasingly demands a flexible, multi-skilled workforce, and that is what the Xtrac Academy is designed to support.”

The investment into the Xtrac Academy is part of the company’s ongoing business expansion, which has also provided additional state-of-art test facilities and increased the capacity of the factory to meet growing global demand.

Adrian Moore, chief executive of Xtrac, said: “The global automotive industry is undergoing a once in a generation transformation as the automobile transitions from conventional petrol and diesel power, through hybrid to decarbonised electric propulsion. One of the fundamental technologies needed for this transition is the vehicle’s transmission system, for which Xtrac’s highly skilled and capable people demonstrate agility and innovation time after time.”