Addressing the Industrial Maintenance Skills Gap

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc. (NIMS; Fairfax, VA), Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT; Detroit, MI), one of the new national manufacturing innovation institutes and Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech; Indianapolis, IN), announced the launch of a new program to train community and technical college instructors as well as industry trainers in industrial technology maintenance. The program is part of a comprehensive effort to prepare a new industrial technology maintenance workforce, which drives the performance and improvement of high-tech manufacturing, and has grown in demand by 118 percent from 2011 to 2015 in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

The effort is bringing additional training and credentials in industrial technology maintenance (ITM), to market across states along the Midwest auto corridor and nationally. The components of the partnership include: rolling out the first-ever industry standards for educating and training the industrial technology maintenance workforce; developing nationally-portable, industry-recognized skills credentials based on these standards; training instructors from community colleges across the entire region; and equipping a competent workforce with the knowledge, skills and credentials they need to enter into and advance in the field.

“In 2015, there were over 53,000 industrial technology maintenance jobs posted in the region,” said Larry Brown, the executive director of LIFT. “Our manufacturers depend on skilled workers in these jobs to support productive manufacturing and integrate the latest technologies into company processes and maintain their performance over time.”

“While employers are facing a real-time skills gap, job vacancies and competitive wages, which can average up to $25.00 per hour — meaning opportunities abound for motivated people looking to secure good jobs in a growing, technology-driven field,” stated Jim Wall, the executive director of NIMS.

Ivy Tech and NIMS have collaborated to launch the ITM workshop series to train instructors in both educational institutions and company training programs. Also, on how to implement the industrial technology maintenance industry standards into curriculum and deliver the related NIMS credentials to their students. Workshops are scheduled for March 21-23, 2016, and April 18-20, 2016. Interested instructors can sign up here.

“Training is key to ensuring we can fulfill the need for skilled workers throughout the Midwest corridor,” said Sue Smith, the vice president of the technology division at Ivy Tech. “Ivy Tech is a leader in providing training programs that respond quickly to industry demand and building a first-rate workforce pipeline to meet the needs of the communities we serve.”

As part of its commitment to provide leading-edge training and credentials for in-demand jobs, NIMS announced a partnership with Amatrol, a world leader in skills-based, interactive technical learning, to develop multi-media training materials to support the NIMS ITM certifications. Their eLearning suite includes industry-validated, interactive content like 3D simulations, videos, and quizzes that align with the nine NIMS ITM Level One certifications.  Also included in the suite is an On-the-Job (OJT) training guide to assist companies in adapting the credentials to OJT training experiences.

“NIMS has taken a major step forward to help industry address the critical shortage of skilled technicians. Their approach of creating a multiple-credential, industrial maintenance certification will more quickly qualify people for well-paying jobs,” said Paul Perkins, the president of Amatrol. “Our selection as their eLearning provider for the program will ensure that the credentials and training curriculum emphasize hands-on, job ready skills.”

NIMS is the developer of quality competency-based skills standards and credentials for jobs in manufacturing and related industries. Through these efforts, NIMS helps build and maintain a globally competitive workforce. For more information on LIFT, contact Emily DeRocco, their education and workforce director. NIMS and LIFT are looking for training providers and employers to pilot the newly-developed credentials beginning this Spring. For more information on how to pilot the credentials, please contact Christine Hubley, the director of marketing at NIMS.

Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow is part of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation and serves as the nation’s essential bridge between basic research and final product commercialization for lightweight metals. The Institute’s world-class facilities and technology development capabilities provide the “right” solutions for the nation’s defense and commercial transportation sectors to promote American competitiveness, energy efficiency, defense readiness, and economic growth.

Amatrol, a world leader in skills-based, interactive technical learning, creates innovative learning solutions for industry and education that are used to build a highly-skilled, well-informed workforce for careers in advanced manufacturing, industrial maintenance, and many more. The company’s comprehensive learning solutions are used across a diverse field of industries like automated manufacturing, iron and steel, CNC, HVAC, oil and gas, green energy, packaging, and mining to name a few. Made in the U.S., Amatrol’s proven learning solutions include hands-on training equipment featuring real-world, heavy-duty components, interactive multimedia and print-based curriculum, and virtual trainers. For more information please click here.

Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. With campuses throughout Indiana, the college serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its communities. In addition, its courses and programs transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

www.nimsready.org, www.lift.technology, www.ivytech.edu