CREDIT: PIXABAY
Fanshawe's Corporate Training Solutions (CTS) will provide training courses focused on the future of manufacturing processes.

Fanshawe College’s Corporate Training Solutions (CTS) has announced a new partnership with Festo Didactic to upgrade its manufacturing- related training courses throughout Southwestern Ontario starting in 2019.

According to a media release distributed from Fanshawe’s corporate communications on Oct.31, the partnership focuses on exploring potential training certification programs; sharing content and resources; a joint participation in the local Specialized High Skills Major pilot program, and planning Industry 4.0 technical training.

Fanshawe CTS and Festo Didactic officially kicked off their partnership with a joint presentation on Industry 4.0 at the Manufacturing Matters conference hosted by the London Economic Development Corporation in October.

Greg James, regional sales manager of Festo Didactic, told Interrobang that Industry 4.0 is the wave of the future.

“Industry 4.0 is the next industrial revolution when it comes to manufacturing,” James said. “It’s digitalization when it comes to the manufacturing floor.”

Industry 4.0 merges modern information and communication technologies with current industrial processes to allow for production that is more efficient. It places a high value on clean technology, robotics and transforming traditional factories into smart ones using the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing.

It also allows production to be more customer-specific, with less reliance on mass-producing goods to save money.

James said that Industry 4.0 has been initiated in Europe and is making its way over to North America slowly but surely.

“I think there’s going to be early adapters and our partnership will be able to create awareness when it comes to Industry 4.0 in Southwestern Ontario,” said James. “It will enable Fanshawe to provide more insight into Industry 4.0 for [its] corporate training customers, and from our perspective as an educational and automation company we’re able to leverage Fanshawe’s strengths and be able to introduce these principles to the manufacturing sector [in the region] as well.”

Festo Didactic works with government and educational institutions and industrial companies to provide technical training solutions. It has a long history of providing training courses in the areas of pneumatics, hydraulics, mechatronics and manufacturing processes within Canada.

In the media release, representatives from Fanshawe said that partnership is beneficial for both students and the manufacturing industry.

“This mutually beneficial partnership aims to better support the manufacturing sector with training courses in Advanced Manufacturing,” Bruce Smith, executive director of Fanshawe’s corporate strategy and business development, said.

Candace Miller, senior manager of strategic initiatives and business development, also had a statement:

“CTS is very excited to be working with Festo Didactic to help bridge training gaps in the manufacturing sector to support the future growth of industry within our community.”

Fanshawe CTS and Festo plan to offer free webinars late this year. According to the media release, the webinars will educate and provide manufacturers with knowledge on how to build their capacity development for Industry 4.0.