Training Amidst the Pandemic Back on Track
The James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC) has over 120 active users undertaking ground-breaking, world-leading research.
Success of JWNC is dependent on staff and students becoming competent users of the state-of-the-art equipment within the facility. Hands-on training is paramount!
Due to the pandemic, training ground to a standstill with worrying long term repercussions.
When we moved to level 3 restrictions, there was a huge backlog of training. It took a huge effort from user community to put everything back on track. Everyone played their part resulting in a successful outcome.
Training had to be well-managed as restriction numbers within the facility had to be enforced. Training had to run smoothly and like clockwork. Optimising training and offering the same opportunities to every user became a full-time job!
This was achieved by appointing two training coordinators who looked at all the training requests on a weekly basis, paired trainees with trainers , and timetabled training session accordingly. This was no mean feat considering the active users of the JWNC.
The coordinators who volunteered for the task were Helen McLelland and Susan Ferguson (Senior Technicians within the JWNC).
It was an overwhelming effort from the entire community to kick-start the training within the centre, and everyone should feel very proud of their effort! But a special mention must go to the coordinators who oversaw and managed the whole process.
Helen McLelland and Susan Ferguson