29 Jun 2026
There’s a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in manufacturing: “Our people are our greatest asset.” At R E Thompson, we don’t just say it; we’ve built our entire culture around proving it.
With more than 78 years of experience delivering precision-engineered components to some of the world’s most demanding industries, including aerospace, defence, space, semiconductor, automotive, and electronics, we’ve learned something fundamental along the way: the most advanced machinery and software in the world are only as capable as the engineers who operate it.
Technology is only as powerful as the people behind it.
That’s why training and development aren’t occasional initiatives at R E Thompson. They’re woven into the fabric of how we work every single day. Whether you’re a seasoned machinist stepping into new technology, a manufacturing engineer entering the world of CAD/CAM software, or a college student taking your first look at a career in precision manufacturing, there’s a pathway here designed to help you grow.
Mastering the machines that matter
Precision CNC machining sits at the heart of everything we do. From complex 5-axis components to high-volume turning, the quality of our output depends entirely on the depth of knowledge our engineers carry onto the shop floor every day.
We invest in the latest machine technology, but a new machine without trained engineers is just an expensive piece of metal, and “buying the machine can be the easy bit”.
That’s why every significant technology investment we make comes hand in hand with a structured training program, ensuring our team can extract maximum performance from all the equipment. We ensure all of our engineers are working with (and trained on) the technology that’s genuinely current in the aerospace and precision manufacturing sector.
Cross-capability training
Why be fluent in one machine when you can be confident across a multitude? Our cross-capability training programme actively encourages engineers to extend their skills across different machines, technologies, and processes.
We’re confident in our ability to build a team of genuinely versatile professionals who understand manufacturing as a whole system, not just their individual station.
For you, this means variety, challenge, and growth for our whole team. Learning a new machine keeps the job interesting, and understanding how your work fits into the wider production process makes you a more valuable, more effective engineer, as having breadth across multiple platforms means you’re never stuck waiting for work.
For R E Thompson as a business, it means we’re more resilient and more agile. A versatile team is a built-in contingency plan. One that enables us to respond quickly to shifting production demands without ever compromising quality or delivery.
The language of modern manufacturing
Digital capabilities are no longer a nice-to-have in precision manufacturing; they’re essential. That’s why we’re investing in structured CAD/CAM software training for our manufacturing engineers and introducing industry-leading platforms such as HyperMILL, Esprit Edge & Creo.
These aren’t just tools; they’re the languages that define modern component programming, design, and 5-axis machining strategy.
Engineers who can work fluently in these environments are among the most sought-after in the sector, and gaining fluency here, on live production work, in an AS9100-certified aerospace environment, is the best training ground possible.
For the individual taking part, this training opens entirely new career pathways. For R E Thompson, it means greater in-house capability, faster programming turnaround, and even better outcomes for our customers. Everyone wins.
Quality knowledge, anytime
Operating to AS9100 aerospace certification means quality isn’t a department; it’s everyone’s responsibility. To make this genuinely achievable, our complete library of standard operating procedures is accessible online through our Quality Management System, 1Factory, alongside structured online courses that team members can work through at their own pace.
This matters because great processes should be easy to find, understand, and follow. Whether you’re new to the business or a long-standing team member, refreshing your knowledge, the information you need is always at your fingertips, not buried in a filing cabinet or dependent on someone else being available.
Building genuine process competence through accessible, structured learning is how we maintain the standards our customers trust us to deliver.
Real experience, real projects
We know that getting your foot in the door is one of the hardest parts of starting an engineering career. Our structured intern programme is designed to make that step as valuable (and genuine) as possible.
Interns at R E Thompson get real exposure to real processes.
This means working alongside experienced engineers on live production, understanding quality systems and inspections in an aerospace context, and seeing firsthand how a precision manufacturing business operates at the highest level.
The standards are exacting. The environment is exceptional. The experience you’ll carry away is the kind that makes a CV stand out.
We’ve always believed the best way to develop great engineers is to surround them with great engineering and to give them meaningful work from day one.
Committed to precision in people, not just parts
The UK precision engineering sector faces a genuine and well-documented skills challenge. The demand for complex, tight-tolerance components (particularly in aerospace and defence) is growing every year.
At R E Thompson, we see this as an opportunity to continue developing our own team while bringing in a new generation of engineers. We want to ensure the skills within our business stay current, grow continuously, and are shared generously across the team.
When we invest in a new machine, we invest in training our engineers to master it. When we introduce new software, we build the programme that helps our people feel confident using it.
When we implement new systems, we bring everyone along, and we ask for input from everyone involved to make them better.
That’s the R E Thompson way. Precision in everything, including how we develop our people.
Subscribe to keep up to date with our latest news.
*By clicking the “Subscribe!” button, I agree to the terms of the R E Thompson T&C’s and Privacy Policy.
