MANCHESTER'S prestigious Manufacturing Institute is offering a subsidised training programme to help small and medium-sized manufacturers.

The Accelerated Route to Lean Manufacturing --aimed at boosting shop floor performance -- is a 13-week programme involving learning by doing, one day a week.

It leads to a Fellowship in Lean Manufacturing.

The Manufacturing Institute -- backed by support from the European Social Fund -- is offering an 80 per cent fee subsidy to North-west companies with less than 250 employees.

Dr Julie Madigan, chief executive of the Manufacturing Institute, said: "We will take companies along a rapid and pragmatic path to manufacturing sustainability, profitability and growth.

"The programme has been specifically created for small and medium-sized manufacturers, although the lessons in lean thinking are equally valuable to larger companies."

There is emphasis on waste elimination, defect prevention, customer pulled production, teamworking, motivation, solving root cause problems, total quality management, supply chain and supplier development and performance measurement.

Companies can start the course in June or September. The MI is an educational charity founded in 1994.

Key partners include ICI, Colgate Palmolive, BAe Systems, Jaguar and universities in Manchester and Salford.

Details of the course are available from Jo Britton on 0161 874 3204 or joannab@tpmi.co.uk

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