Cheshire man who dropped 22 stone says skills bootcamp has given him new lease of life

A Cheshire man who dropped 22 stone and was given 24 hours to live after a “disastrous” weight loss operation said enrolling on a 3D printing skills bootcamp has given him a “new lease of life” and allowed him to come out of retirement.

Mike Scotson, 59 from Widnes had carved a successful career in sales – latterly working as a senior development manager for Comet.

But he was forced to retire, nearly losing his life when his world came crashing down in the aftermath of a private weight loss operation in 2010 - intended to treat his weight gain sparked by a pituitary tumour a few decades earlier.

He said: “It went really badly wrong. I lost something like 22 stone dropping from 30 to just over 8 stone, the weight loss just didn’t stop, and I was literally skin and bone. I was suffering from malnutrition and had a 5cm channel in my bowel to absorb food, in a normal human it’s 21 feet.

“I ended up in Whiston hospital for five months and in July 2016 was transferred to Manchester Royal Infirmary where they expected me to pass away within a day or two. Fortunately, I was given revision surgery, and a brilliant surgeon Alan Li saved my life.”

Although Mike’s health has vastly improved his enforced retirement was frustrating.

“I had written my working life off. You feel useless, worthless.”

But Mike said taking the plunge and completing a skills bootcamp last year has transformed his life and allowed him to set up his own business.

Run by local employers, colleges and independent training providers, the 16-week flexible training skills bootcamp programmes help employers recruit people with the right skills, upskill existing staff and give residents the chance to learn sector-specific skills and get a guaranteed interview.

Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington data reveals that 900 people in the region have signed up to one of the region’s Skills Bootcamps in the last three years.

In Mike’s case he enrolled on a 3D Printer, 3D CAD and Digital Manufacturing skills bootcamp run by Leigh-based specialists 3D 360.

The flexible rolling programme embraces the connected digital world of technology known as Industry 4.0 and includes a mixture of online modules and in-person sessions with all participants able to keep the 3D printer they build and learn how to operate.

The Skills Bootcamp’s focuses include 3D printing and computer automated design (CAD) training, robotics, advanced automation, additive manufacturing, the role of the ‘Internet of Things’ in modern manufacturing, cyber security and how to generate Income from digital manufacturing.

Mike proved such a natural that he is now set up his own 3D printing and CAD training business EmmEss Training Ltd – including working three days a week for 3D 360, training not only Skills Bootcamp recruits but mentoring the company’s own younger trainers.

Mike, who is also using his newfound 3D printing knowledge to launch bespoke products ranging from personalised brass instrument mouth pieces, made after scanning the user’s face, to a nifty device to store poo bags on dog owner’s leads, urged others to sign up to a Skills Bootcamp.

He said: “It has given me a new lease of life and as well as my training role I am in the process of starting my own print farm to do print on my demand for some of the bigger companies. It really has been life changing.”

Lead by vastly experienced engineers from the nuclear, and automotive and commercial design sectors, 3D 360 is a training provider and consultancy in Digital and Additive Manufacturing (AM / 3D printing) and 3D CAD.

Since November 2021 its team have delivered face to face training to over 1600 people and have gifted over 1600 free 3D printers worth more than £250,000 to learners with over 350 of these going to schools and education.

Adopting a ‘teach a person to fish’ philosophy - amid a skills gap in education around 3D Printing, 3D CAD and advanced manufacturing – 3D 360 delivers Department for Education funded skills bootcamps training across Cheshire & Warrington, Merseyside, Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

One of its directors Paul Bullock, who spent 30 years working within the nuclear sector, including senior roles on some of the most complex nuclear decommissioning projects in Europe, said Mike’s success epitomised the aim of the Skills Bootcamp programme.

He said: “Mike is an outstanding trainer, very personable and brings out the best in learners. He can say ‘I was sat where you are and now, I have this role’, it’s so inspiring.

“The Skills Bootcamp is about developing skills and reducing barriers. In Cheshire around 40% per cent of learners are over 50 and we want to get people like Mike who have dropped out of work for whatever reason, address the brain drain, harness existing skills and upskill them.”

In May this year Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington confirmed it had secured more than £2m in government funding to create a further 640 places on around 40 Skills Bootcamps covering subjects from artificial intelligence and covert surveillance to railway construction.

You can find out more and see the full list of Cheshire and Warrington Skills Bootcamps with places HERE.