Industry experts from the USA have visited the island’s college.

A team of leaders from Swagelok’s centre in Solon, Ohio, visited UCM’s Hills Meadow, Douglas, campus to tour the advanced manufacturing training centre.

UCM has been working with Swagelok, which is based in Tromode, and other local manufacturers over the past 10 years to develop the curriculum and facilities to ensure that students have the skills and experience required to work in the industry.

In that time, UCM has trained more than 200 engineering students, with more than 30 apprentices being recruited by Swagelok.

John Cashin, engineering assistant programme manager at UCM, said: ‘We’re extremely proud of the strong links we have with the industry.

‘Not only is it important for ensuring our students have the skills they need after their course to have a successful career, but it also means that our students benefit by using those links to gain employment.

‘It’s fantastic that Swagelok’s team in the USA has identified that this model is working really well on the island and wants to use the experience we have here to adopt a similar approach in America.’

Wayne Ostrosky, vice president of operations at Swagelok, said: ‘We’ve really enjoyed our visit to UCM. The facilities and curriculum offered are fantastic. The collaboration between University College and the local industry is key to the development of skills and the ongoing success of the students.’