EPC-UK, one of the UK’s leading experts in commercial explosives and blasting services, has opened a new Learning and Development Centre at its head office in Alfreton, County Derbyshire, central England.
The facility will house the company’s nationally-renowned training courses for the blasting industry, and will be available to the wider business community, providing a new state-of-the-art conference space in the Alfreton area.
The Learning and Development Centre was officially opened by Olivier Obst, chairman and CEO of the EPC Groupe (EPC-UK’s French-owned parent company).
EPC-UK says it is a passionate advocate of skills and training and already provides accredited training courses through the
Its courses are utilised by leading names in industries such as quarrying to certify shot-firers and explosives supervisors to nationally-approved standards of accreditation.
The courses are run by Dr Rob Farnfield and Dr Mark Pegden, EPC’s in-house explosive engineers who are regarded as two of the best educators in the sector.
“We aim to be the leading training provider in the explosives sector and certainly industry feedback is excellent,” says Ben Williams, managing director of EPC-UK.
“We have already trained over 2,000 people in surface mining and quarrying, as well as bespoke courses in underground mining, civil engineering and specialist explosive applications.”
With growing demand, EPC-UK saw the opportunity to create a dedicated environment for these courses as well as the company’s own commitment to provide career-wide Learning and Development for its own workforce.
Aware that high standards of facility are desired by a range of businesses, EPC-UK took the step of making the Learning and Development Centre suitable for third-party organisations who required high-quality conference facilities.
“We have developed significant knowledge in the management and provision of our own training, and we’re delighted to share that expertise with a new conference facility that will be suitable for a wide range of commercial organisations,” says Williams.
The company re-purposed an existing building, with extensive internal redesign and redecoration, to create the Learning and Development Centre. The heart of the building is a main meeting room capable of housing up to 20 delegates. This is complemented by smaller meeting rooms and break-out areas.
The flexible meeting spaces are fully equipped with A/V equipment and free Wi-Fi as standard. The company’s commitment to customer service includes a dedicated event host and a range of healthy, wholesome food and drink options.
The opening event was attended by a number of VIPs from across EPC-UK, EPC Groupe and several of the company’s high-profile customers.
In addition, Phil James, executive director of the Institute of Quarrying, was on hand to present Ben Williams with a plaque in recognition of EPC-UK’s membership of the IoQ’s Corporate Professional Competence Scheme.
