South Yorkshire Growth Hub’s Business Advisors recommended that Polydon should upskill staff on a 3D software design system it had recently bought, called SolidWorks.
SolidWorks put together a bespoke training plan involving nine staff undertaking four days of intensive training in sales, design, development and manufacture using its latest software. The result is extended product design capabilities supporting oil and gas, agriculture, rail, defence and the energy sectors.
Polydon MD Harold Howard said: “We have been able to become more competitive, increase our turnover and access markets that we could not have done before as we can now offer a full design package. We have been able to attract new customers and now work with businesses on a global basis offering them a fully animated 3D design which we can prototype and test before it goes into manufacture. These capabilities really do give us a competitive edge.
”The Skills Bank funding has made a real difference as it has enabled us to extend our services and enhance our capabilities. It means we are much more a design and development-focused business, rather than being purely a manufacturer. The training has enabled staff to get the most out of the SolidWorks software package along with making our whole sales, design and manufacturing processes more efficient.
Julie Mather, Skills Advisor at the South Yorkshire Growth Hub, said: “It is fantastic to hear that Polydon Industries has experienced such a major impact to its business since staff undertook the Skills Bank training. Since the pandemic, many manufacturers have taken advantage of Skills Bank funding to enable their staff to enhance their skills. This is having major benefits in enabling them to meet industry challenges and address the skills shortage that exists across many sectors.”
Skills Bank provides employers across South Yorkshire with access to high quality training and funding to support skills training that will enable them to develop their business. Skills Bank is part of South Yorkshire Growth Hub, a service which exists to help businesses to find the best possible support to grow, whether that is investment in Skills and Training, access to finance options, support with innovation or export or even helping new businesses to get off the ground.
