LEEDS, United Kingdom – July 2, 2008 – WABCO, one of the world’s leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension and transmission automation systems for the commercial vehicle industry, successfully accredited its technical training courses in the United Kingdom with the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) in accordance with the Institute’s licensing scheme (IRTEC).
“We have been offering a comprehensive training program conducted by experienced WABCO field service engineers for our UK customers for almost ten years already”, said Philip Laughton, Technical Support Co-ordinator of WABCO UK. “Having these courses IRTEC accredited does not only add prestige and increase attention on the market for professional trainings, but our customers will also benefit from the newly structured format of the courses, including exams, continuous assessment and quality procedures.”
Since 1999, WABCO UK has offered courses on WABCO systems such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Braking System (EBS), Electronically Controlled Air Suspension (ECAS) and air braking systems for trucks and trailers. Successful trainees receive a licence letter that gives full access to all functions of the WABCO system that they have been trained on. These courses are part of the comprehensive WABCO University program, which includes training, learning services and consulting across a number of platforms. They can be attended at the WABCO office in Leeds, off-site at the customer or via WABCO E-Learning. The IRTEC certificate is a recognized safety and competence qualification in the maintenance and repair of vehicles in the light, heavy goods, service and passenger carrier vehicle industries in the United Kingdom. Through the IRTEC scheme, technicians and mechanics can add to their qualifications and keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date.
WABCO training worldwide
Since the early 1960s, WABCO offers a comprehensive training program. In 2007, more than 11,000 participants took part in 1,772 WABCO training courses worldwide. The WABCO training sessions are offered at 30 office and production facilities worldwide and can also be attended online. Further information on the UK training program, access to the online courses search tool and online registration are available at the WABCO University section.
WABCO in the UK
WABCO UK’s Leeds site originated as an industrial light and glass company, which was founded in 1896. In 1965, the business was acquired by UK truck brake manufacturer Clayton Dewandre, which in turn, merged with WABCO in 1977. Today the Leeds facility develops and produces vacuum pumps for automobile and sport utility vehicle (SUV) manufacturers. The Leeds facility employs approximately 120 people and serves as a base for the Original Equipment (OE) and Aftermarket (AM) Sales and Technical Service teams and as a training center for the UK Aftermarket.
Editors Notes
WABCO Vehicle Control Systems is one of the world's leading providers of electronic braking, stability, suspension and transmission automation systems for heavy duty commercial vehicles. Customers include the world’s leading commercial truck, trailer, and bus manufacturers. Founded in the U.S. in 1869 as Westinghouse Air Brake Company, WABCO was acquired by American Standard in 1968 and spun off in 2007. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, WABCO employs more than 7,700 people in 31 countries worldwide. In 2007, WABCO’s total sales were $2.4 billion. WABCO is a publicly traded company and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the stock symbol WBC.
www.wabco-auto.com
Media contact:
Tobias Mueller, +49-69-719168-34, tobias.mueller@klenkhoursch.de |
