Okuma Australia has a long-term commitment to continue to build a talented, diverse and engaged workforce to not only assist our customers but also develop our own business.
Developing our apprentices and younger team members is part of this continued investment in the growth of our future technical team.
“By investing in our team members, we are investing in the longevity and future of our business”, commented Dean McCarroll, Managing Director, Okuma Australia + New Zealand.
Developing our apprentices and younger team members is part of this continued investment in the growth of our future technical team.
“By investing in our team members, we are investing in the longevity and future of our business”, commented Dean McCarroll, Managing Director, Okuma Australia + New Zealand.
The Okuma Mentoring program launched 4 years ago, as an on-line platform during Covid. It offered participants an introduction and insights into every facet of our business, with a strong focus on training on the Okuma machine range and OSP control.
Fast forward to 2023 and we are doing a lot more hands-on and face-to-face training and exposure for all members.
Recently we hosted three of our young interstate Service and Applications Engineers for three days of training. They enjoyed one day industry-related training at an external facilitator, with the rest of the time at Okuma Head office and visiting our PIPE Partners (Partners In Productive Expertise); Dimac Tooling, Automated Solutions Australia and Sutton Tools.
“This mentoring program not only helps me learn more about Okuma machines specifically but also exposes me to all aspects of the Okuma business and that gives me a much broader understanding of how a multi-national business works”, commented Mitchell Norbis, Applications Engineer.
Fast forward to 2023 and we are doing a lot more hands-on and face-to-face training and exposure for all members.
Recently we hosted three of our young interstate Service and Applications Engineers for three days of training. They enjoyed one day industry-related training at an external facilitator, with the rest of the time at Okuma Head office and visiting our PIPE Partners (Partners In Productive Expertise); Dimac Tooling, Automated Solutions Australia and Sutton Tools.
First stop on the PIPE Partner journey was Dimac Tooling, Australia and New Zealand’s leading supplier of accessories and workholding solutions for CNC milling and turning machine tools in Dandenong South.
Director, Paul Fowler enlightened everyone on various work holding solutions as well as many products that assist with the environment and CNC machine tool maintenance.
Dimac's Director, Paul Fowler, expressed his enthusiasm, "We are delighted to be a part of this successful program. The shared values among our PIPE partners ensure excellent outcomes, whether it's a standalone machine or a complex cell."
Automated Solutions Australia (ASA), was our next stop. ASA specialise in the design, integration and installation of Fanuc robots. Pat Green, Director of ASA gave us a tour of their new modern facilities in Brookley. The excitement really kicked into gear when the team spent several hours using the Robots for some hands-on supervised training. This practical training will be invaluable out in the field for our team.
“Our first guests to our brand-new facilities dedicated to building even more robotics solutions were our friends at Okuma. As PIPE partners we enjoyed spending some time mentoring the young Okuma team with real hands-on robot experience. Thank you for being a part of our journey; together with all our clients, we will continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in the world of robotics!” commented Pat Green, Director, ASA.
Our final destination was Thomastown to visit Sutton Tools. They are an Australian family owned and operated business consisting of over 500 employees that are renowned globally for their high-quality precision standard and special carbide and HSS cutting tools, servicing both the Australian and Global manufacturing markets. The Okuma team enjoyed a tour through Sutton’s SMART Manufacturing Centre with engaging conversation about their business development process and R&D activities, followed by a walk-through their streamline manufacturing facility.
“We were honoured to be involved in the Okuma Mentoring Program. These types of initiatives are inspiring to be involved in and strengthen the manufacturing industry for the future”, commented Peter Rollauer, General Manager Key Accounts APAC, Sutton Tools.
Okuma Australia is planning more of these types of tours for the broader Okuma team members with involvement from more PIPE Partners.
“This type of exposure for our Okuma team is key to keeping everyone engaged and excited by the future of our industry,” commented Dean McCarroll.
“This type of exposure for our Okuma team is key to keeping everyone engaged and excited by the future of our industry,” commented Dean McCarroll.
