News

Hi Everyone,

There are several parts to this week’s EV News;

  1. An important and interesting overview a new system which will replace the Time Management System (TMS) – with an App which is more upto date, user friendly and offers more versatility and benefits.
  2. Champion Award Winners – as selected by the Partner Forum.
  3. An update on Partners who have been promoted to new roles
  4. A list of vacancies that we are currently recruiting for.

Thank you so much to Beth for writing it.

Duncan

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Hello Everyone, it’s Beth Grosvenor – HR Business Partner, and I have the absolute pleasure to announce that from early January 2025, the business will be introducing a new HR system called Healthbox HR. Myself, along with Brian Jones – Head of IT will be fronting this project.

What is Healthbox HR?

This platform will replace our current Time Management System (TMS) and offers a plethora of benefits to not only the business, but for your employee experience whilst being employed at Grainger and Worrall. I will list just some of the features the platform offers below:

  • The option to clock in and out whilst on site via your mobile device. We will still have terminals across the site if you still wish to use them, but the easier option of clocking in and out via your phone will save so much time!
  • Easy access to documents – this platform allows us to send you letters that need signing by yourselves (saving paper!) and you can also view the Employee Handbook, HR Policies and several other documents we will place on there.
  • Message Board – this module will keep you up to date with Evolution News, Employee Forum minutes, celebrate promotions, any business news and any other updates the Company wish to share with you.
  • Update your own personal details – need to change your bank details? Moved house and need to update your address? You now don’t need to rely on others doing this for you, you can simply amend the details yourself on the platform.
  • Book holidays with ease. You can request for time off with the click of your fingers and the notification will go straight to your Line Manager for approval.
  • Learning & Development Platform – want to see what training there is at Grainger & Worrall and what courses you have already completed? You will be able to see all this information on your log in!
  • Recruitment Module – this module gives you the opportunity to see first hand what vacancies we have across the business, and you can apply for positions directly through the platform.

I am truly excited to see this project come to life and look forward to you all being able to see the platform yourselves.

Over the coming weeks there will be training for all line management on how to use the platform and then you will receive your own training prior to Healthbox HR going live.

The poster I have included with this update will be shared across all the noticeboards for you to see.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the HR department at hr@gwcast.com

Quarter 2 and Quarter 3 Champion Awards.

On Thursday 14th November, the Employee Forum representatives got together and one of the discussion points was to choose the overall winners for the Champion Awards for Quarter 2 and 3. The reps independently voted for their favourite reasons (no names were included) and the votes were counted up straight after the meeting.

A massive congratulations to the following partners:

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

There were no Growing nominations for Quarter 3 so well done to all winners, you will receive your certificates and vouchers over the next week!

The Quarter 4 Champions will be selected in the new year, so please continue to recognise your colleagues by nominating them when you see great work 😊

Internal Promotions

In the 4th October Evolution News, Sam Fenn – Chief HR Officer announced that most of our vacancies will be advertised internally for 2 weeks prior to going external. Giving all partners the opportunity to apply for roles across different areas or to progress throughout their careers.

I am pleased to share with you that since then, the following partners have applied and have been successful for open vacancies.

Name Role Appointed on
Sukhbinder Reehal Calibration Technician December 2024
Martin Griffiths Logistics Co-Ordinator October 2024
Sarah Newton Process Engineer November 2024
Aaron Jones Senior Manufacturing Engineer December 2024
Andrew Kelly Process Lead – DSP October 2024
Ashley Southall Process Lead October 2024

If you are interested in applying to any open positions, look out in Evolution News.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Thanks

Beth

———————————————————————————————————————————————————

Recruitment Update – 15th November 2024

Receptionist / Administrator

Wednesday Afternoon to Friday (19hrs) – Will need to cover Monday to Wednesday morning for holidays and sickness – this is a job share role 

The Postholder duties will include meeting and greeting customers at reception, answering the main switchboard, answering and directing calls as required, monitoring visitor access to the Company premises so maintaining security, and maintaining an efficient and professional reception area. Due to the nature of this position, the successful candidate may be asked to cover the hours worked by the other person sharing the role of Receptionist/ Administrator when that person is absent due to annual leave or short-term sickness.

The successful candidate will have knowledge of reception and administrative procedures, will have experience of multi-tasking, with good planning & organisation skills and excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills.  Competence in using Microsoft Office, particularly Outlook, Word & Excel is required for this role, as is recent experience of administration and switchboard operation and experience of team working within a busy reception department.

Management Accountant

Monday to Friday 08:30 – 17:00 (37hrs)

The Postholder’s duties will be to assist with the preparation of the monthly account’s which comply with the relevant accounting standards, through journal creation and implementation, accounting analysis and internal results reviews. In addition, the post requires mentoring of junior members of the accounting team and alignment with the monthly accounting deadlines.

The successful candidate will have proven experience of meeting month end deadlines and previous experience of taking accounts to trial balance and reconciling balance sheet control accounts.  They will be a full/part qualified ACCA/ CIMA (or equivalent qualification) or will have significant relevant experience.  A working knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics Navision accounting system would be desirable for this role, as would experience of working in an accounts team within a manufacturing environment.

The post also requires relevant support for the external audits and preparation of statutory accounts as well as supporting the Management in the production of Budget schedules. There is also a requirement to support the Finance team on ad-hoc requirements

HSE Manager

Monday to Friday 08:30 – 17:00 (40hrs)

The postholder will report to the Chief Executive Officer and key responsibilities are to act as the lead competent person for environment, health & safety as designed by the Management of H & Sat Work Regulations, and Environmental Policy for the group of companies, to ensure the group of companies complies with current Environmental, Health & Safety and legislation, approved codes of practice and guidance in relation to employment and service provision, Work proactively with managers to establish and maintain a system that promotes a culture of safe working practices across the group of companies and to manage the EHS team.

The postholder will require a NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational H & S or equivalent, relevant experience of operating in a HSE role within a manufacturing environment, extensive experience in HSE practices, knowledge and understanding of all legislative requirements and Codes of Practice relating to occupational health, safety and environment, excellent written and interpersonal skills and the ability to challenge constructively, experience of communicating effectively verbally and in writing to senior managers and writing reports, current, valid driving licence, membership of IOSH would be desirable.

Tool Setter (GWM)

Monday to Thursday 07:30 – 16:00 – Friday 07:30 – 13:00 (37.5hrs)

The Postholder will be responsible for ensuring that all aspects of the tool setting area run smoothly and support production as required and for liaising with tooling suppliers on a regular basis to ensure that both Consignment & Company stock levels of tooling are sufficient to support production. Ensuring that all tooling returned from Production is checked for condition before being broken down, waxed and stored safely in the correct location is a requirement for this role, as is correctly identifying any special tooling relating to a specific job so that it can be adequately protected & stored in clearly defined kits ready for future use.

The successful candidate will have experience in the above responsibilities and be capable of working using their own initiative. Good interpersonal skills are needed for this role, as is an organised and methodical approach to work

Machine Shop Operatives X 2 (GWM)

Monday to Friday 06:00 – 14:00 (37.5hrs) and 22:00 – 06:00 (37.5hrs)

The Postholder will report to the Production Lead and key responsibilities are to detail machined parts in line with manufacturing instructions, wash & pressure test parts in line with customer specifications, support the etching and serialization of parts, as required, assemble components as per manufacturing instructions/ customer specification, package goods in line with manufacturing instructions/ customer specification, operate machinery as required. (training given where appropriate) support visual inspection of components and assemble items required, maintain cleanliness and tidiness of workstation/ area, support management to ensure Company quality procedures are followed, undertake any other duties as required by management, commensurate with the grade of the post.

Manufacturing Engineer X 2 (GWM)

Monday to Thursday 07:30 – 16:00 and 07:30 – 13:00 Friday’s and Monday – Friday 16:00 -00:00

The postholder will be responsible for Manufacturing process planning, CNC offline program creation, Training and instruction of others in offline programming, CNC cutting tool selection and procurement, Fixture design and procurement when appropriate, Customer liaison on design for manufacture and general technical issues, Data control, route cards, drawing control, program storage and management, Introduce and progress New Products through the shop, Liaise with suppliers for sub-contract processing, Support costing of new work, Setting and operation of CNC machines for the prove out process of new products, Any other duties commensurate with the position as requested.

The successful candidate will need experience in all aspects of the above responsibilities, experience and knowledge of CAD/ CAM, in-depth knowledge of on line ISO programming, an in-depth knowledge of technical drawings, geometric tolerances and practices, a good understanding of CMM inspection methods, self-motivated and disciplined, a confident communicator, able to motivate others, quality orientated, be a team player, solution provider and good researcher and have a  degree of flexibility in working hours and breaks to suit workload

We are still recruiting for the following roles: details are on the GWL Website.

CNC Setter/Programmer

CAM Operative

Process Lead

Project Engineer

Stores Assistant

Metrology Engineer

Maintenance Engineer x 3

Automation Engineer

For further information and applications including CV if possible, please email

HR@gwcast to request a job profile.

Remember ‘REFER A FRIEND’ if you know anyone who would like to be considered for any of the roles


Good Evening Everyone,

This week I had an excellent presentation from Alex Malham, Tom Bannister and Jon Marsden on what we have learnt from an accident earlier in the year. As a reward I asked Alex to write this piece for EV News.  What I like about it is the emphasis on personal responsibility for our behaviours and actions and the specific improvements that have been made to the way we do things. It encapsulates all five of our values…

Have a good weekend.

Duncan

——————————————

Happy Friday Team,

Allow me to introduce myself, I am Alex Malam, the Production Manager for Prototype & Motorsport.

As we continue to foster a culture of safety and collaboration at Grainger & Worrall, I want to take a moment to reflect on a recent accident that occurred back in August. While the event like all other accidents are unfortunate, I feel it has since sparked a significant positive change within our organisation, particularly in the areas of attitude, discipline, and the collaboration between EHS, Engineering & Operations teams.

A Shift in Attitude and Discipline

One of the most important outcomes of the recent accident has been a renewed focus on our workplace attitudes and the importance of personal responsibility. We have all been reminded that safety is not just a protocol; it’s a mindset that each of us must adopt. To support this shift, we have recently implemented the following initiative which has been piloted in ProtoMoto ready for full site rollout:

  • Level Zero Meeting: As I am sure a lot of you are aware over the past year we have adopted and developed a Visual Performance Management ‘VPM’ to our day to day diary. These appear in a number of different levels but all subsequently feed information into one another. During the review of this accident we had the realisation that none of these meetings can take place unless all partners are safe and sound. Therefore, we have now launched a ‘Level Zero Meeting’ that helps emphasize the importance of individual responsibility in maintaining a safe work environment. This daily start of shift meeting is to enforce regular reminders around safety protocols and the expectation that every partner looks out for one another, with the final most important message ‘If something does not feel right or safe, STOP & RAISE IT!’. This re-enforces that all partners are empowered to act when something isn’t safe.

Collaboration Between EHS, Engineering & Operations

One of the silver linings of this accident has been the remarkable collaboration between our EHS, Engineering & Operations teams. By working together, we have been able to identify gaps in our processes and develop effective meaningful solutions. The mindset of the cross-collaboration has evolved from not only trying to deliver a solution but to ensure the solution is delivered safely. Here is an example of recent collaborations:

  • Cross-Departmental Risk Assessing: All incoming new products are now getting scored against complexity and size to produce a risk rating. The higher risk products are then worked on between the teams to ensure the end products that reaches the shop floor is as safe as possible.
  • Safety & Training Workshops: Together, the teams have begun to implement safety awareness presentations & quizzes to roll out to the shop floor. This will help drive and reinforce best behaviour to ensure we are carrying out jobs not just correctly but safely.

CAD design of a mould to check lifting platform requirements.

Looking Ahead

The proactive changes we are making reflect our commitment to not only learning from our experiences but also to continuously improve our workplace environment. I would like to encourage each of you to embrace this culture of safety and collaboration. Your involvement and inputs are crucial as we navigate forward together.

Let’s continue to support one another and strive for excellence together.

Remember nobody goes to work to get injured!

Start Safe, Work Safe, Home Safe.

Have a Great Weekend!

Alex


Recruitment Update – 8th November 2024

HSE Manager

Monday to Friday 08:30 – 17:00 (40hrs)

The postholder will report to the Chief Executive Officer and key responsibilities are to act as the lead competent person for environment, health & safety as designed by the Management of H & Sat Work Regulations, and Environmental Policy for the group of companies, to ensure the group of companies complies with current Environmental, Health & Safety and legislation, approved codes of practice and guidance in relation to employment and service provision, Work proactively with managers to establish and maintain a system that promotes a culture of safe working practices across the group of companies and to manage the EHS team.

The postholder will require a NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational H & S or equivalent, relevant experience of operating in a HSE role within a manufacturing environment, extensive experience in HSE practices, knowledge and understanding of all legislative requirements and Codes of Practice relating to occupational health, safety and environment, excellent written and interpersonal skills and the ability to challenge constructively, experience of communicating effectively verbally and in writing to senior managers and writing reports, current, valid driving licence, membership of IOSH would be desirable.

CAM Operative

Monday to Thursday 08:00 – 16:30 and 08:00 – 13:00 Friday (37hrs)

The postholder will report to the CAM Manager and responsibilities are to perform duties in CAM, look after day to day maintenance of the CNC machining centres, keep the areas around the machines clean and tidy, cut and glue model board when required, machine model board blocks, perform duties assigned and in compliance with the quality manual, monitor stock levels of modelboards and cutting tools, edit CNC programmes to link files together.

The post holder will require relevant experience of CNC machining and CAM programming, self-motivated and disciplined, a confident communicator, methodical, neat and tidy, high attention to detail, a degree of flexibility and an engineering background is an advantage.

Project Engineer

Monday to Thursday 0800 – 1630 – 08:00 – 13:00 Friday (37hrs)

The postholder will be responsible for the project engineering team, setting and standardising team behaviours, project delivery of NPI projects, project engineering communication ensuring it achieves VOC requirement, delivering all activities in accordance with legal ethical and H & S regulations.

A degree or professional career in relevant discipline or significant experience in relevant fields, knowledge of H & S legislation as it applies to the role, H.S.E awareness training, strong people management skills and experience of developing direct reports, current valid driving license, and a breadth of experience of working in various products/sectors and /or roles desirable.

employee performance within your team or within the Company as appropriate, work with the production team to facilitate quality improvements, including activities to reduce scrap,identify training needs for & have significant input into the development of employees within your team. Conduct annual performance appraisals with reporting employee, delegate effectively, ensuring sufficient support is provided for the individual to whom work has been delegated.

CNC Setter/Programmer

Monday – Thursday 07:30 – 16:00 and 07:30 – 13:00 Friday (37.5hrs)

The postholders key responsibilities are Setting and Operation of CNC machines for the prove out process of new products and for general production, online CNC Program creation when appropriate, training and instruction of others when appropriate, CNC cutting tool selection, assist with fixture design when appropriate, data control, backing up of programs and creation of tooling sheets and Setting. The postholder will require experience in all aspects of the above responsibilities, experience of machining of castings, experience of Mazak, Matsuura and Haas machining centers is an advantage, in-depth knowledge of CNC Machining, self-motivated and disciplined, interpersonal skills, quality orientated and be a team player.

Senior Process Engineer

Monday to Friday 08:00 – 16:30 (40hrs)

The postholder’s key responsibilities are the specification and control of processes in the manufacture at GWL, supervise process activities of the allocate foundries to achieve business targets, contribute to quality improvements, supervise and develop process team, support production team through process stabilization and improvements and support NPI through process development.

The postholder will require a recognised formal engineering qualification or demonstrable significant experience in relevant fields, relevant process engineering experience, including some from within the foundry industry, automotive, motorsport, aerospace and or defence industry experience, experience of organizing multiple tasks/projects and managing small teams and good communication skills.

Machine Shop Operative

Monday to Friday 22:00 – 06:00 (37.5hrs)

The Postholder will report to the Production Lead and key responsibilities are to detail machined parts in line with manufacturing instructions, wash & pressure test parts in line with customer specifications, support the etching and serialization of parts, as required, assemble components as per manufacturing instructions/ customer specification, package goods in line with manufacturing instructions/ customer specification, operate machinery as required. (training given where appropriate) support visual inspection of components and assemble items required, maintain cleanliness and tidiness of workstation/ area, support management to ensure Company quality procedures are followed, undertake any other duties as required by management, commensurate with the grade of the post.

Process Lead – X 2

Monday to Friday 16:00 – 0:00 (37.5hrs)  Monday – Thursday 16:30 – 04:30 (46hrs)

The postholder’s will report directly to the Shift Manager, the Process Lead is a key role that drives the Production team to meet daily production expectations.  Working alongside the operations partners the Process Lead will plan and supervise the daily operations, motivate and drive staff to meet and exceed production requirements by adopting continuous improvement processes that drive a safety and quality culture of right first time.

The successful candidate will be able to actively demonstrate company values, minimum of 4 years manufacturing experience, minimum of 3 years in leadership role, ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the business, ability to positively influence and build strong relationships across all organisational levels, effective time Management and prioritisation skills, strong problem solving skills and demonstrated ability to mitigate risk to production and/or supply, basic competence in Microsoft tools including Outlook and Excel, holds Managing Safely IOSH Level 1 certificate, manual handling and crane trainer, Basic First Aid trained & Fire Marshall trained

We are still recruiting for the flowing roles; details are on the GWL Website.

Stores Assistant

Metrology Engineer

Maintenance Engineer x 3

Automation Engineer

For further information and applications including CV if possible, please email

HR@gwcast to request a job profile.

Remember ‘REFER A FRIEND’ if you know anyone who would like to be considered


Afternoon All.

Thank you to Dave Sands from Programmes this week to share an Outstanding team achievement from GW’s ProtoMoto department.

GW has been involved with Giga casting projects for over 8 years. We have just completed our 5th Generation Giga casting project for one of the world’s largest OEM’s.

It was the customers first time of designing for Giga castings. After negotiations, teams call and presentations the customer entrusted GW to take on the task to deliver.

It was the first prototype project for this US customer in 20 years. Worth £xm for GW.

The detailed project plans were generated, lessons learnt were assessed and off we go. Bay 2, 3 and 4 foundry uplift was close to completion ready for the programme.

In preparation for the project commencement weekly internal DFM reviews were held involving every department that handled the Giga castings.

Great design feedback from Operations. Especially the Foundry technicians on how to improve the design of the Giga vaults and how they are moulded and assembled.

Special thanks to CAD and tooling department to deliver the foundry tooling in such a short lead time.

Big thank you for the hard work of the setting team to ensure dimensional confirmation. Constantly scanning the FUBS and RUBS to be in the best shape to present to the machine shop.

The list of thanks can go on through all departments.

The project timeline was also challenging. The customer’s requirement was to receive the first parts in 12 weeks. (cast and machined). With everyone’s great efforts and the team pulling together this was achieved.

Just to mention the 4th generation previous Giga casting program. First parts to customer had taken us 18 weeks. We are getting faster and faster.

There was also an end date to deliver all parts (XX sets) of FUBS and RUBS. The customer was delighted to confirm that GW delivered all parts in full one week early to the original plan set in June 24.

We have a weekly call with the customer to discuss delivery status and technical issues (if any). The customer reports they have built x cars with minimal issues.

Giga casting are the foundations of the vehicle. Hundreds of components must be assembled to our castings with tight spacing and tolerancing. A fantastic achievement to build the first parts. Well done.

Overall, a very happy customer which puts GW in pole position for the next Giga program. This is down to all the hard work from everyone. Thank you.

Daveered