January 75 No. 1 06 THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF RANK XEROX MITCHELDEAN The Cup that Cheets! And cheers are certainly due to our apprentices for bringing back, for the eighth time, the Rank Xerox Ltd Cup awarded annually to the firm whose apprentices produce the best collective record in course-work and examination. Apprentice Kevin James (right), who received a course prize on his own account, accepted the cup on the Company's behalf at the recent prize-giving at the West Gloucestershire College of Further Education. Here he is celebrating its return to us, along with fellow-apprentice David Evans, who won the South Wales Institute of Engineers Shield, awarded^annualiy to the engineering student gaining the best collective ^^ourse and exaj^nation results. Apart from the cup and shield, apprentices Christopher Dean,. Richard Johnson, Mark Savagar, Terry Hook and ex-apprentLce Cjive Manns won six out of the 12 bourse prizes awarded in the Departctient of Engineering & Building, andAwo secretarial students — Caroli^n Ackary and Jane Williams — also received course prizes in the Businass ^tudies section. (More successes^arel ,y featured on pages 2 and p.) | ^/ Q December 9 was one of winter's golden days. And the golden atmosphere permeated the restaurant in the Social Centre where a small crowd had gathered for 'a sunny occasion', as Training Manager Jack Timms put it. General Manager's 'There has been an increase in the number of people who have gained financial awards,' he announced. 'These are for certificates gained in a New Year Message course of professional studies so you might say they've reached the gold standard I' It is traditional for the The awards, totalling over £800, Mitcheldean General Manager to were handed out by General extend seasonal good wishes to Manager Ron Morfee who said : 'I am all readers of VISION at this in the company of some of the time of the year, and I am very people with the best judgment and glad to take this opportunity. talent in the place. They've had the good judgment to come and work Although the New Year should here and pursue these studies, and be a time of optimism and hope obviously have the talent to succeed. renewed, we do unfortunately have many problems casting 'I take my hat off to those who are their shadow over us this year. dedicated enough to spend their The international and national own time this way and I congratulate economic situation has not left them.' (One chap was so dedicated us untouched in terms of he went to the tech. instead of reduction in demand for our coming to receive his award I) machines, and severe cost The winners were introduced by pressures, made worse by high Training staff — the technical types inflation. first by Frank Edwards, the Many people at Mitcheldean management and supervisory by have already been affected by Wally Hammond, the secretarial by being switched from one product Kathleen Allen and the commercial by or job to another, and the need Lynne Coote, standing in for for this kind of flexibility is Roger Acland. likely to continue. Prize Note We must all recognise that we have a stake in cutting out all One of the award winners, David inefficiency and waste, so as to Jones, who recently took the keep costs of our products Materials Handling & Plant Layout down, and demand for them up. section of the Institute of Materials This is the way to preserve and Handling graduate certificate improve employment examination, also won the John opportunities in 1975. Morris Memorial Award for being the best student. That makes two of I trust that the realism and Guy Bedford's staff who have won sincerity of this message will this award — the other being Ted be accepted by all who work at Bennett who won it in 1970. Mitcheldean. If we can work together in 1975 even more (Trainee secretaries and apprentices effectively, building on the will be receiving their awards at sound foundations for mutual their own Students' Dinner & understanding and co-operation Presentation in a few weeks' time.) laid in 1974, then we shall get through our difficulties and it A/l lined up after the presentation are will be 'A Happy New Year!' {from the top down) the management and supervisory, technical, secretarial and RON MORFEE commercial award winners. 2 I n AWARD WINNERS Management and Supervisory Full Technological Certificate — David Institute of Cost 8- Management Certificate in Industrial Management — Phelps (Reliability), Clive Manns and Roger Accountants — Part I: Paul Tucker and David Barrett (Machine Shop), Bob Miles (Engineering D.O.), David Tuffley Michael Wright (Financial Accounting); Hawking (Reliability). (TED). Parts I B II: Tony Butterworth (Financial Ordinary National Certificate — Electrical: Accounting) ; Parts II 8- III: Keith Hewitt National Examination Board for Supervisory Keith Davis and Robert Howell (both (Group Finance); Part III: Steve Knighton Studies—C\We Brookes (4000 Assembly), Design Engineering and both already have (Supply Centre). Ken Butt, Roger Preece and Tony Yelland HNC Mechanical); Science: Ton'^ lliffe (Engineering D.O.), Rafe Cherry (Goods Institute of Purchase & Supply —Final: (Reliability). Inwards Inspection), Geraint Griffiths Robert Liddington (Purchase). (Electrical Sub-assembly), Frank Tonge and Higher National Certificate — Electrical: Association of Certified Accountants — Dennis Williams (Internal Transport), Tony Tony Day, Ian Hodkinson and Derek Russan Parts I B //.Tony Rand (Group Finance). Wood (Machine Shop). (PED Electronics); Mechanical: Richard Walford (Design Engineering), Tony Walklett (TED) ; Endorsement: Michael Secretarial Technical Martindale (PED Electronics). Typing — RSA I: Susan Cooper Telecommunications — Part II : Institute of Work Study Practitioners — (Reconditioning), Gwynneth Lewis Michael Short (Design Engineering); Part I: Terry Phillips; Part II: Arthur Kelly, (Technical Library), Joy Scrivens (Financial Part III: Robert Leach (Reliability). Bill Kerr and David Powell (all Work Study). Accounting), Carol Wall (Personnel). Licentiate of the Royal Institute of Technician's Certificate — Shorthand: Anne Bedney (Machine Shop), Chemistry: Mike English (Works Laboratory). Electrical: Roger Baldwin and Stephen Pamela Douglas (PED), Sheila Tingle Davis (RED Electronics), John Davis Commercial (Elec. Sub-assembly), Anne Watts (Group (Goods Inwards). Inventory Control), Jane Williams Certificate of Office Studies — Part II: (Finishing). Electrical Installations Final: Robert Graham Arnold (Model Shop), David Jones Kempster (Works Engineering). (Materials Handling). 'O' Level English: Sheila Tingle. GOOD RESOLUTIONS Saving through the Payroll Save? With the cost of living being 'Then in the early 1960's the payroll what it is and inflation reducing the became computerised and we were purchasing power of anything able to operate a new type savings already saved ? What's the point ? scheme called Direct Transfer That's virtually what we said to Scheme — in other words, painless Alan Cryer when he told us that a extraction at source! savings drive is being started within Today we have 778 people at industry this month to draw attention Mitcheldean Plant participating in the to the payroll savings facilities scheme.' available. We asked Alan if he was one of The drive is being organised in them. 'I certainly am,' he said. 'I like conjunction with the National to practise what I preach I' Savings Movement and Alan is hon. group secretary for this area. The appropriate forms for saving He is also our Payments Operations through the payroll are being Manager at Mitcheldean, so he distributed. All you need do is fill knows a thing or two about cash one in as directed and the painless flow, and we thought you'd like to extraction can begin. hear his argument. January is the time for making good 'We appreciate long-term savings resolutions — and your resolution to may not be attractive today,' he told save is less likely to get broken by As a National Savings Movement us, 'but short-term purpose savings February if you let the computer official, Alan Cryer wants to see more are a different matter. Inflation or not, carry it out for you. of us saving ttie painless way. we all need to save for a purpose at some time, whether it's for getting married, or buying a house, or holidays. And there's nothing more comforting than knowing you've a Conserving our Energy bit put aside to meet any unexpected contingency. Although at the time of going to press we had not received any official 'The payroll savings facilities make it request, it was known that the possible for you to build up a Government was looking for savings account in a painless way. something like a 15 per cent cut in What happens is that you elect to our energy consumption, and that a save a sum of money, no matter how mandatory ceiling on office much, and arrange for it to be temperatures of 68°F was being deducted at source every week. considered (compared with the 63°F 'This is paid monthly into the required during the last energy crisis). Trustee Savings Bank — it's a Tony Newman, Maintenance Manager, Government-backed concern offering told us: 'We are in a better position full banking facilities, and you get an to cope this time in the light of our individual interest-bearing savings previous experience. account and a pass book. It's all 'We have been preparing a plan of confidential and you may find it helps action with Works Manager you to budget more efficiently. Don Elliott acting as co-ordinator for 'If you wish, you can opt for all energy saving exercises, and longer-term saving (for retirement, various steps have already been say) by investing the money in a taken — such as making sure all Save As You Earn contract, savings equipment is working efficiently, and certificates, etc.