EDUCATION: CHANGING THE STATUS QUO

The future of many companies is also predicated on the longer-term supply of willing workers. Even though many American companies are outsourcing jobs to countries such as China and Mexico, there are still many well-paying jobs available in this country. But even as manufacturers struggle to fill these positions with skilled employees, the industry faces another problem: many young workers don’t see plant work as a viable career option because they believe factory work is dirty, dangerous, unfulfilling, and that there is no room for career advancement.

According to Shankle’s editorial, America’s Most Wanted: Skilled Workers, nothing could be further from the truth.” Technology is expanding exponentially throughout the industry – from design and production to inventory, management, delivery, and service. Manufacturing positions today include exciting work with lasers and robotics. The manufacturing environment is changing in terms of needs, opportunities and the talents required. Most of the fastest growing jobs today require advanced knowledge and skills, but many in the available workforce lack these proficiencies and the educational background.”

EMPOWER TO POWER
The manufacturing industry can use supplier-training programs to help attract and retain the next generation of employees. Many younger workers are interested in learning, earning, acquiring new skills, and getting paid. Training programs are alluring to employees who are skittish about job security or picking a field in which they can stay and grow. The overall economy is still soft, unemployment remains high and workers are worried about keeping their current jobs or finding a new one if they are laid off. Many employees take online training courses to become more attractive to their current employers or to feel more secure in what remains an unsettled economic environment.

John Tschohl, founder and president of the Service Quality Institute (Minneapolis, MN), says it well: “Workers must utilize all of their skills and talents to sell themselves to their customers and their employers every day and in every undertaking. They must be more agile, multi-talented and, above all, empowered. Those who reject empowerment – who fear risk and cling to the status quo – will lag behind and get left in the dust. Empowered employees take control; they make decisions quickly to help a customer, move a project forward or solve a problem. In the process they find their jobs more enjoyable.”

Solid, effective employee training not only improves quality and enhances productivity; it boosts employee competence, confidence, motivation, and morale. Properly trained employees enjoy increased job satisfaction, less frustration and more loyalty to their companies. When employees sharpen their skills, they feel greater pride in themselves and their work, do a better job and become leaders on the shop floor. As employees become more proficient machinists and troubleshooters, they take greater ownership of their equipment. This makes work more enjoyable and leads to employees who are more engaged and want to advance within the organization’s management structure.

Conversely, when employees can’t operate their machines, they make mistakes, become increasingly frustrated, indifferent and unmotivated. Productivity and quality take a nosedive and low morale begins to grip the company. When this happens, employees quit or get fired, perpetuating and exacerbating production problems.

While a key objective of employee training is to improve worker performance and increase tenure, online training programs offer additional value to companies that have high levels of turnover. Constantly training new employees is expensive – but it is an avoidable cost when vendors actively contribute to the training.

In a “doing more with less” environment, we can expect to see more and more manufacturers and suppliers partnering to train employees and gain all the benefits a better workforce can bring. – Dale Petts

These insights hit the nail on the head. As technology clusters become more prevalent and more OEMs and suppliers collaborate to compete for jobs, watch for online training technology to take center stage as a differentiator in the near future.

Dale Petts is the global product manager of metal products at Simonds International, 135 Intervale Road, PO Box 500, Fitchburg, MA 01420, 978-424-0100, Fax: 978-424-2212, www.simondsinternational.com. In leading the Simonds technical training program, he was instrumental in creating the online training and certification program for customers at www.neveryieldtosteel.com.