The Leon Drury Podcast

WQMS are structural cracking and weld repair management experts, providing a holistic suite of solutions, services, software, and supplies for crack and weld repair management of fixed and mobile structures.

WQMS is not just another welding inspection, welding supervision, or welding services company. They believe in providing effective and sustainable solutions, using a first principles approach, that benefits all stakeholders.

Leon spoke with Simon and Eddy about their past and current work developing the WQMS business and their specialities.

you can contact them through their website: https://www.wqms.com.au/home
or through social media:
LinkedIn:
Simon:   / simonkrismer 
Eddy:   / eddy-constable-02413878  

In this podcast I discuss the state of the Manufacturing and Engineering industry in Tamworth. 

Fiona Sweeney: Head of Human Resources and Finance, Obieco Industries
Obieco Industries are a licenced vehicle body building manufacturer, based in Tamworth. Obieco Industries provide the full ‘turnkey’ solution for our customers from design, manufacture and installation. Our range of specialist and custom builds include ute trays, service bodies, custom truck builds, tippers, flat beds. In addition, we are specialist suppliers and installers of Effer, Maxilift, Unic, Stellar Tyre Handlers and Tommygate tailgate loaders. Obieco’s biggest fleet customers in Telstra, Origin Energy, BOC, NSW Police and several NSW local councils and local mines.
 
Employing 75 staff including 22 apprentices, Fiona is employed as Head of Human Resources and Finance and has been with Obieco for nearly 9 years.  She brings to the role over 20 years human resources experience gained in the United Kingdom and Australia. Fiona has cemented her reputation as a leader in her field providing end to end generalist human resources expertise developing positive work cultures, fostering staff development, providing high levels of strategic HR management whilst ensuring continuous improvement, compliance with relevant legislation including workplace health and safety.  Winning the NSW Medium Employer of the Year Award at the NSW Training Awards in 2019 and subsequently being named top 3 in Australia at the Australian Training Awards in the same year for Obieco’s commitment to training, is one of Fiona’s career highlights. 

Emma Carrigan - Admin & Finance Manager at Belmore Engineering. Belmore Engineering are structural steel specialists providing innovative and collaborative solutions for projects across all areas of New South Wales. Over the 15 years of her employment, Emma has experienced the company’s growth and innovation, under David Green’s leadership. Belmore have made the transition from basic fabrication and fencing to customised structural steel for tier 1 and tier 2 clients for large-scale, high-profile projects such as Shell House and the Western Sydney International Airport. Much of Belmore’s success can be attributed to their innovation, adaptability, and passion for providing opportunities to the young people in our communities.
 
Here is the link to the NBN News article:
https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2023/09/14/tamworth-businesses-innovate-to-fill-manufacturing-staff-shortages/

In this Podcast Tony and I have a broad ranging discussion about the past, current and future of VET and how industry uses the system.
The opportunity that the latest review has for its stakeholders to have a say about its future. 
To find out more about the review see this Link 
https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/strategies-and-reports/our-reports-and-reviews/nsw-vocational-education-and-training-review

and to contact Tony you can contact him through his website https://www.uensw.com.au/

Josef was a recipient of the 2021 Manufacturing Skills Australia (MSA) Industry Development Fund. listen to his story and how he plans to use the scholarship funds. 

“For us ‘value’ is about so much more than the monetary designation given to a product, it’s more about its intrinsic value. The value of the skills required to make the products, the value of the community we operate in, the value in supporting our Australian leather industry, and the value of a product that becomes a part of your story as you grow older together.” — Josef and Grace.

https://blueandgrae.com/pages/our-story
https://www.instagram.com/blueandgrae/

More about the Manufacturing Skills Australia Industry Development Fund 
https://www.mskills.org.au/industry-development-fund/

Meriel is the owner of Full Circle Fibres, Full Circle Fibres is about connecting the links from grower to user, respecting the source and the stages to usefulness as gently and carefully as possible.

With Full Circle Fibres you’ll join a journey about finding and using sustainably and ethically sourced fibres, yarns and fabrics, crafting tips, articles about the wonderful growers, suppliers and processors, and as the rage grows, products for you to enjoy, use and share.

Meriel is a passionate textile technologist (nerd for fabric manufacture), crafter and mother of 2. She lives with her family trying to tread lightly on this world in their sustainably renovated house in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Meriel loves making stuff, this has been since she campaigned her Mum to teach her to knit when she was about 5, much to her sister’s disgust, she spent just about every ‘play’ opportunity available to her sewing, knitting and making! Her family today will tell you nothing has changed there’s always a myriad of projects on the go and an addiction to inspirational ‘stashing’ of useful fabrics, yarns etc, that she struggles to keep to one space in their home!

Meriel’s love of textiles added to her geeky soul led all the way to studying at UMIST in Manchester where she gained her BSc (Hons) in Textile Science and Technology, and progressed to a career working for global high street brands and small companies with fabric and garment manufacturers and their supply chains in Europe, Asia and Australia.

Bec Healy was a MSA Scholarship fund recipient in 2021. Bec is the owner of Boxhead Plastics and Autoplas, she uses waste recycled auto parts to remanufacture new products such as Glof Tee's using the skills that she gained in her training in the certificate IV in Polymer Processing.

Bec is now up-skilling in the Diploma of Sustainability With TAFE NSW

Conversation with Keith Monaghan - I have been in the Manufacturing industry for about 50 years. My career started as a fitting and machinist apprentice, with tool-making trade an added feather in my cap in the early days.

From here, the TAFE system was route to a qualification in Manufacturing Engineering. Further studies in economics, marketing, train the trainer, Just in Time (JIT) systems, Zenga Miller and quality assurance have all given me further career opportunities throughout the years.

I also spent 25 years in the automotive industry as an Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering Manager. This was the stepping-stone to Quality System development, National Product development management in the seating and office fit out sector and onto general management in the Metals and Plastic Industries. I was president of PIMA (Plastics Industry Manufacturers of Australia) for 10 years and am currently a board member (representing PIMA) of the NSW Industry Training Advisory Body.

SHOW LESS

National Coordinator – Skills, Training & Apprenticeships, Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU)

Ian has national responsibility for managing the AMWU’s policy development and its engagement with the national training system and the structures that underpin it. Ian has a long history of activism within the training system and has served on a number of ministerial inquiries as well as many state and national regulatory and advisory bodies. He is a member of six Training Package IRCs.

SHOW LESS

David Fox is the GM of LA Services in Sydney, He has had been on a journey of transitioning a highly specialised engineering and manufacturing company that services the oil and gas industry into a company that is able to offer services beyond the hardware and leap into the digital age.

Michael had mechanical trade and production engineering roles in Australia, Belgium and USA then productivity, industrial engineering; Manager HR, OH&S and quality improvement systems.

In 1984 he joined WDScott Management Consultants with assignments in Australia, Fiji and Singapore. He formed McLean Management Consultants [MMC] in 1988 with their Strategy and Business Plan Development; Stakeholder Engagement; Supply Chain Performance and Research; Continuous Improvement (TQM, Competitive Systems & Practices, BPM, Lean, Hoshin, Six Sigma); Risk (ISO 31000, FMEA, PPAP, PCP); Team Based Culture and Project Based AQF Training; ISO single and Integrated Management Systems assignments in ASEAN Member Countries; Australia, England, Europe, Ireland, Japan, Middle East, NZ, Scotland and USA.

Business Growth, Entrepreneurs Program and CDIC Consultant. Industry and Government experience includes Defence (initial RAAF, RAN, Army Quality and Lean Improvement Strategies Nationally; Thales); Building and Construction; Food / Printing and Packaging; Medical and Pharmaceutical; Manufacturing - Complex, Advanced and High Speed Processing (25%+ productivity, 98.5%+ DIFOT and 99.5% quality), Mining Engineering Technical Services (Aluminium, Copper, Coal, Magnesium, Nickel, Steel-making, Zinc); Infrastructure (Airports, Bulk Handling Terminals, Ports, Freight and Passenger Rail Transport); Finance, Insurance and Banking.

A Hunter Defence Task Force Member; represents AiGroup Members Nationally on SA Committees and ISO as a Systems Expert and Convener; Defence & SAI Global Whitepapers; P/T Lecturer MGSM and UoW.

Fellow Australian Institute of Company Directors; AOQ; Institute of Management Consultants -CMC; Dr Juran Medalist; Shilkin Prize recipient; Academic Research Papers; co-Author 'Manufacturing Money' & Complex Problem Solving Books

David Tiller is an Ai Group Senior Adviser, Workplace Relations, Hunter Office

With strong connections to the manufacturing industry and previous experience in engineering, David understands the challenges faced by many in the industry at a practical and technical level. David provides Ai Group members with advice and solutions on a wide spectrum of Workplace Relations’ issues. This includes procedure and policy development, employee classification, performance management, dispute resolution and enterprise bargaining.

In this conversation, I speak with Fraser Nelson about his career from doing an apprenticeship in a carpet manufacturing firm as a Fitter and Machinist and his journey to become one of the most respected and knowledgable people in the Vocational Education system in relation to Manufacturing and Engineering Standards.

Fraser has been at the forefront of working with industry to develop industry training standards in partnership with industry stakeholders. 

This conversation with John Cooke who has had a long career in the Manufacturing sector explains how he started, key challenges, and interests that drove his career. 

John is passionate about strategic business improvement achieved through transformational leadership and leader development, leadership of change, and the 'management' of a 'culture of innovation'. My successes have come from utilising evidence-based management, leadership, and growth-oriented business principles to fully leverage the benefits of applying tried and tested business, business strategy, and manufacturing improvement oriented methodologies (LEAN, TQM, 6-Sigma, SMED, JIT - or 'continous improvement) to real-world applications. These pragmatic and effective initiatives have succeeded in rendering businesses in which I have worked/managed strategically focused, managerially competent, and growth-oriented. This 'two-dimensional' approach generates strategically relevant change/improvement initiatives aligned to re-fitting/maintaining a 'fit' between the business and its ever-changing competitive environment, but applied in a balanced fashion rather than led out in mistaken 'religious fervor' wherein most one-dimensional 'tool' applications under-deliver and/or fail.