City and Guilds Part 1 Courses in Retread Workshop Practice - Now Available Worldwide

One of the most successful activities carried out by the Retread Manufacturers Association in the UK over the past couple of years has been the re-introduction of City and Guilds Part 1 courses for retread operatives. The self-study courses, which begin in September each year and culminate in an April exam, are managed by the RMA and ratified by the City and Guilds of London Institute, the world renowned examination body, and provide an invaluable qualification for retreaders in all aspects of the retreading process.

The City and Guilds Part 1 course has been a mainstay of the Association's training programme for many years and was relaunched in 2006 after a few years absence. In the 2006-7 year 27 people passed the exam and a further 28 in 2005-6. An additional 31 people also took the April 2008 exam.

The City and Guilds Part 1 courses have proved extremely popular in the UK and have helped to improve the technical knowledge of the workforce of those members who have taken the course. Indeed several RMA members are making it their policy to put all their workshop operatives through to course in order to guarantee the best possible knowledge base within the factory.

Following the relaunch of the courses to the UK market, The RMA is now actively looking to market the courses overseas. Overseas candidates are not unknown on the courses and participation should not be considered to be exclusive to candidates whose mother tongue is English (although obviously a reasonable command of English is required to complete the exam). Indeed the last couple of years has seen candidates from a number of diverse markets including Malaysia, Sweden and Taiwan successfully complete and pass the course.

The Technical Committee has worked hard this year to produce a new, more concise technical manual for students taking the course as well as for general use by retreaders. The new manual is currently being printed and will be available to students who start the course in September.

The course is correspondence based, with two 'Mock' examinations to monitor progress during the periods of study, extending from September 2008 to April 2009. The course covers all of the following speciality areas of retreading:

- Inspections - Initial, Secondary and Final - Buffing - Repairing - Cementing - Tread Preparation and Application - Sidewall Veneering - Matrices - Curing - Pre-cure retreading - Legislation and Health & Safety

The final examination, consisting of a written examination paper, takes place in various locations in the UK. However, by arrangement, overseas candidates can take the examination locally under the invigilation of a local university or technical college.

Certificates are awarded to all successful candidates by the City & Guilds of London Institute.

Course fees for the 2009-10 year will be £469 per candidate for non-RMA members.

Interested parties who would like to find out more about the courses and obtain a full syllabus, can do so by e-mailing the RMA at rma@greentyres.com