Atlas Copco Airpower in Wilrijk is home to the Atlas Copco Group’s compressor research centre. More than 3,000 people, including over 800 engineers, work there on the development and production of compressors, dryers and filters, amongst other things. It is therefore no surprise that innovation is a core value here. That is why the company is strongly committed to training to equip its staff with the right (technical) skills.
Never stop learning: that is the Atlas Copco Group’s motto. With this mindset, not only do new employees receive all the training they need at the start of their careers, but there is also a strong focus on lifelong learning for everyone, at every level of the organisation. This enables employees to acquire new skills in their field throughout their careers.
In addition, Atlas Copco is also committed to broad-based internal mobility: employees are given the opportunity to retrain for other roles or departments within Atlas Copco. There are many examples of people who start out in procurement but then move on to marketing or production. In this way, Atlas Copco aims to unlock the full potential of its employees.
When it comes to training in CAD design, Atlas Copco turns to Savaco, with whom the company has been working for some time on the management of their CAD and PLM systems. Kaz Van Zegveld has been working as a Design Engineer at Atlas Copco for over a year and has already completed a number of courses at the Savaco Academy. In the following, he shares his experiences.
What training courses have you already taken at the Savaco Academy?
“It’s crucial for us that everyone is able to work effectively with the systems we use on a daily basis. Every new colleague therefore receives the necessary training to get up to speed quickly,” says Kaz. “When I started at Atlas Copco, I had never worked with Creo before. I therefore quickly took the Creo Fundamentals course, a group training session held at Savaco’s head office. Later, I also took further courses on sheet metal and assemblies.”
“In addition, Savaco also develops bespoke training courses for us. For example, I recently took a refresher course and a productivity course on assemblies.”
Whenever we cover a new feature during a training course, we always look at how we can work more efficiently and save time. It’s those ‘productivity hacks’ that really make the difference for me.
“For every course, we’re sent a syllabus in advance with an overview of what will be covered. We also receive a link to the course materials so we can have a look at them beforehand. At the start of the training day itself, a set of prepared files is ready for us to work on during the lesson, allowing us to learn new functions and features. Our trainer Philip discusses each operation in detail (how to open a particular feature, what exceptions there are, etc.) and thus teaches us how to use certain functionalities most efficiently.”
“Every now and then, we also include some exercises. For example, we might start with a 2D drawing and try to turn it into a 3D model using the method we find most efficient. These exercises are a great way to test whether you’ve properly understood the tips.”
“For every feature covered during a course, we always look at how we can work efficiently and save time. It’s those ‘productivity hacks’ that really make a difference for me and that I incorporate into my daily work with Creo.”
“I also appreciate the combination of group training and bespoke training. During a group training course, you also get to hear and see the perspectives and questions of colleagues from other organisations, which can certainly be enriching. For a bespoke training course, our key Creo users at Atlas Copco assess in advance which new features will be useful for us. That way, we get training that is truly tailored to our way of working, and no time is wasted on things we don’t use.”
“I’ve already gained a fair bit of knowledge and experience with Creo over the past year, and Savaco’s training courses have been a great help. I started with a thorough exploration of the basics, and I’m now applying that in my day-to-day work. The tips and tricks on productivity have taught me a lot in particular: those small actions ensure that efficiency improves significantly in the long run. My colleagues advised me to make sure I took enough time to master the basics properly, and that turned out to be a wise move. Now I’m ready to delve into more complex designs.”
Would you like to hone your Creo skills, just like Kaz? Take a look at our full range of Creo courses at the Savaco Academy.