Dudley College of Technology is excited to announce the launch of Scan Wednesdays, hosted at the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology. This new initiative offers a unique opportunity for local businesses to explore cutting-edge laser and photo scanning technologies.

What to Expect During a Scan Wednesday

Each Scan Wednesday session is open to a maximum of three companies, with two attendees per company. Participants are invited to bring a component of their choice for scanning. Whether it’s a handmade prototype, a challenging-to-measure old part, or a broken component without existing drawings, our team will demonstrate how laser and photo scanning can create detailed 3D models.

Experience Our Advanced Technology

Our experts will showcase the entire process, from multiple scans to the creation of a final 3D model, including the necessary post-processing to convert scan data into a format ready for CAD. While your components are being scanned, enjoy a tour of our state-of-the-art facilities and learn about the extensive services we offer to businesses in the Black Country. Relax with a Starbucks coffee and breakfast in our ‘Stir’ café during your visit.

Reserve Your Spot

Interested in participating? Email us at innovation@dudleycol.ac.uk or call our Innovation Consultant Andrew Homer at 07436 950432 to discuss which Wednesday you would like to reserve your place for.

To find out more about how we’re driving innovation to support local SMEs, please read our recent news article.

FAQs

Is the event free? Yes, the Innovation Service is fully funded by Innovate U.K. until March 2025. Find out more here.

Is there free parking on site?

Yes, the full address of the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology is Zoological Drive, Dudley, DY1 4AL, directions can be found here on our website.

How do I qualify for Scan Wednesday? Services are open to SMEs in the Black Country, defined as having less than £43 million turnover and fewer than 250 employees.

What if I don’t have time to wait for my scan to complete? No problem. We can scan your item and arrange for you to collect it at your convenience.

I have a prototype for a new product that I don’t want other companies to see. We can schedule a private session for you.

What else do you offer?

Our innovation team can assist with:

• Product and service innovation
• Business process innovation
• Additive manufacturing
• Modelling and design
• Automation and robotics
• Digital engineering, 3D scanning & printing
• Electronics manufacturing
• Measurement and testing

We look forward to meeting you and helping your business innovate and grow.

Dudley College, together with the Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology, of which it is a key stakeholder, is the most recent vocational college to sign an educational partnership with Next Gen Makers.  

Next Gen Makers supports engineering and manufacturing companies in the UK in attracting and retaining top-tier talent through benchmarking and sharing best practices as part of their Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme. In addition, it acknowledges exceptional employers for engineering Apprenticeships via a national employer Kitemark accreditation, championed by leading manufacturing organisation Make UK. 

Dudley College and Next Gen Makers will work collaboratively to help companies to benefit from accessing the Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme and employer Kitemark. This will allow them to improve their Apprenticeship schemes, deliver the best possible apprentice experience and become more appealing employers for aspiring engineers. 

The partnership will also see Next Gen Makers support Dudley College in reducing the cost of training for the next generation of engineers by providing exclusive discounts off industrial consumables via their business partner; MSC Industrial Supply Co.UK. Dudley College will be able to tap into the vast engineering expertise of the MSC engineering team and Technology Centre, ensuring that engineering tutors stay updated with current knowledge and adhere to industry standards. 

Neil Thomas Chief Executive and Principal of Dudley College of Technology said: “We are committed to offering employers access to the best apprentices and apprentices’ access to jobs with the best employers, who will support their learning both on and off the job, so this partnership makes sense. By working closely together we hope to bring some of the technical expertise of MSC staff into the classroom, so that apprentices are benefiting from the most current business practices, allowing them to add more value in their own workplaces. “ 

Adam Tipper, Managing Director at Next Gen Makers adds: “We are very pleased to announce Dudley College of Technology and the Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology as our latest educational partner and look forward to developing a close working relationship with the engineering and apprenticeship teams at the college. Our focus is firmly set on proactively collaborating to benefit to the engineering firms that choose these two organisations as their engineering training provider. 

“The UK engineering skills shortage is well known, and the sector is also being adversely affected by apprentice retention issues. This is a result of apprentices feeling unsatisfied with the quality of their experience within the apprenticeship scheme at their employer. 

“However, engineering firms within our Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme are bucking this trend via benchmarking and best practice sharing, learning from the successes of other engineering apprenticeship schemes across the UK, and improving their own as a result. Through this partnership, we aim to help more manufacturers to benefit from this knowledge sharing”. 

We are proud to be running our sixth annual Engineering and Manufacturing Academy in August 2024.

The academy was set up with the backing of local employers, and is designed to help young, aspiring engineers build the skills they need to progress to an Apprenticeship or further full-time study in a range of Engineering disciplines.

As part of the two-week programme, students are able to take part in hands-on activities such as bench fitting, manual drafting, marking out and fabrication and welding as well as employability and CV writing skills. 

The academy culminates in our hugely successful employer event where recruiting employers are invited in to meet and interview our academy graduates, allowing them to grow in confidence and helping them to discover the world of networking, with the ultimate goal of securing apprenticeship positions with the visiting employers.

Emily North, Employer Engagement Manager for Engineering, Fabrication and Welding and Motor Vehicle, said: “The academy is a fantastic opportunity for school leavers to join us during the summer holiday and gain hands-on experience in our machine shop, as well as gain confidence and communication skills by joining their peers in class. By running our employer event we aim to introduce the engineers of the future to our recruiting employers, at a point when our apprenticeship recruitment is at its peak, securing fantastic career opportunities for our young academy graduates.” 

Tony Sartorius, Chairman at AluCast, said: “The students show real enthusiasm for the course and learned about some engineering principles, as well as gaining practical experience. Alucast were so impressed with the student intake, that we selected three youngsters to join our apprentice scheme at our foundry based in Wednesbury. This course is certainly an innovative way to introduce young people to engineering and promote manufacturing as a career choice, which is so important to the nation’s economy.” 

The academy will return in summer 2024 for its sixth year. If you are an employer keen to learn more and get involved – please contact Emily on 01384 363 106 or emily.north@dudleycol.ac.uk.