Resurgence of Manufacturing Spotlights Need for Training
It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on manufacturing in America. Alongside nearly every other industry, manufacturing faced major challenges in 2020 and the years that followed, particularly with regard to supply chain problems.
Fortunately, the tide appears to be turning. In a recent Bloomberg article, authors Enda Curran and Katia Dmitrieva report that “[a]ssembly lines around the world are starting to hum again, marking a turn in a years-long manufacturing slump.” That’s good news here and abroad.
According to Curran and Dmitrieva, “[t]he nascent industrial recovery is led by the world’s two biggest economies. Chinese manufacturing has made a strong start to the year, boosting the economic outlook, and US factory activity unexpectedly expanded last month for the first time since September 2022, buoyed by rising new orders and a jump in production.”
Factory activity isn’t the only key indicator reflecting an uptick in American Manufacturing. The authors note that “JPMorgan/S&P Global’s manufacturing index notched a second month above expansionary territory in March and sits at the highest level since July 2022. If sustained, that’ll help catalyze a broader and stronger economic recovery that’s already spreading beyond the US.”
The recovery could be a bumpy ride. However, the authors believe there is reason for optimism: “While it’s still early days…the activity nonetheless marks a departure from the slowdown that took hold globally as consumer demand pivoted to spending more on services such as travel and dining out instead of buying more goods as pandemic-era restrictions ended.”
As American manufacturing ramps up during this period of recovery, manufacturers will still be faced with a labor pool that continues to have fewer highly skilled workers than employers need. Where will the workers come from? Until educational institutions expand the pipeline of skilled workers, manufacturers will have to pick up some of the slack of training workers with the skills they need to succeed.
Of course, not every manufacturer is prepared to train workers with the knowledge and hands-on skills they need to make an immediate impact in the workplace. Fortunately, employers don’t have to be training experts to launch an effective training program.
The experts at DAC Worldwide can help any manufacturer quickly and efficiently implement a training program that targets the specific skills workers need to be productive. For example, a thorough review of training systems is a great place to start. Do employees have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job?
If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure a competent workforce. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s variety of hands-on focused skills training systems that feature the real-world components workers will encounter in the field!
- Published in News
Focused Training Key For Industry
Is the pandemic over? Some days it’s difficult to tell, as the ripple effects of continued cases of COVID-19 continue to pop up and create problems for both workers and manufacturers. Although the severity of pandemic-related disruptions has certainly subsided, industries around the world are still struggling with the aftershocks of a tumultuous few years.
In addition to ongoing supply chain woes, manufacturers are also contending with a labor marketplace that has changed fundamentally as a result of the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, industry was struggling to fill open positions with qualified workers. Today, these struggles remain and in many areas have gotten even worse.
As a result, industries are placing a great emphasis on skills assessment to ensure that new hires can hit the ground running. In addition, upskilling current employees has taken on new significance, as industries seek to make the most of available human resources when it’s difficult to hire qualified new workers.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the current skills gap, the type of skills assessment and training that industry needs, and how the training tools offered by DAC Worldwide can help employers and instructors assess and train workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
How Wide is the Skills Gap?
Now that the worst of the pandemic appears to be behind us, things should be slowly getting better, right? Why then do manufacturers seem to be falling farther behind? According to an article by Alexandra Johnson:
“Before COVID, the situation was bad, but post-pandemic it has become even worse. Despite lockdown lifting, the industry is reporting over 515,000 jobs need filling, just to meet demand.”
Commonly known as the “skills gap,” there remains a sizeable disparity between the supply of highly-skilled workers and the demand for these workers in today’s industrial labor market. In fact, experts predict the skills gap is going to get even worse in the foreseeable future.
A study conducted by Deloitte for the Manufacturing Institute estimates that, over the next decade, almost 4.6 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled. However, because of the skills gap, as many as 2.4 million — more than half! — of those jobs could go unfilled.
In a recent Forbes article, author Graham Glass notes that “[n]early half (46%) of learning and development (L&D) leaders say the skills gap is widening in their organization, and 49% say executives are concerned employees don’t have the right skills to execute business strategy, per findings from LinkedIn Learning’s ‘2022 Workplace Learning Report.’”
What is industry to do? Glass advises that “organizations need to emphasize employee upskilling, reskilling and right-skilling — and anticipate the skills employees need to succeed in their positions…By assessing the business’s needs pre-training (to develop training content) and post-training, companies can work to bridge skills gaps and create training programs that are impactful and useful to employees and the organization alike.”
Skills-Based Hiring
What’s the best approach for industry to take to bridge the skills gap? Should industry simply hire anyone they can get their hands on and then train them to do the jobs they need done? For many reasons, that strategy is probably not the best solution.
Industry is already struggling with a host of issues left over from the pandemic. Most companies don’t have the bandwidth to babysit new workers while they acquire the training they need. Many also don’t have either the personnel or the tools to effectively train new workers.
That’s why, in an article in the Harvard Business Review, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky advocates for a new skills-based approach to hiring. Roslansky urges employers to “[f]ocus on the results you’d like to see, rather than the type of qualifications that you think could deliver them. Highlighting the desired skills — the candidate’s ability to perform certain tasks — gets to the same results without creating an unnecessary barrier to entry, like a requirement for a four-year degree.”
In an article by Adina Miron, the author agrees:
“Skills-based hiring enables employers to hire for the skills gaps that exist within their organization. Rather than focusing on experience, education, or certifications, companies should focus on identifying candidates with the needed skills to fill open positions.”
Roslansky echoes these thoughts:
“Shifting to a skills-focused approach is a viable solution to an evolving workforce dilemma…Stay focused on skills — and the assessments that can measure them…there are plenty of ways to gauge a candidate’s ability to perform without relying on their education or experience as proxies.”
How do employers shift to a skills-based hiring approach? Unfortunately, generalized assessments and comprehensive training systems can be difficult to use in the context of hiring new workers in industry. Why? The answer can be found in the concept of specialization of labor.
According to an article by Sampson Quain:
“Specialization of labor…refers to a process in business in which large tasks are divided into smaller tasks, and different employees or different groups of employees complete those tasks. Specialization is highly desirable in large-scale operations such as…manufacturing because it allows workers with specific skill sets to efficiently perform a specific task.”
For example, a manufacturer may need to hire someone with a specific skillset related to the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of mechanical belt drives. A prospective candidate might claim to have general mechanical knowledge and skills, but how can the employer know whether the worker has the specific belt drive skills it needs?
To effectively use a skills-based hiring approach in manufacturing, employers need focused assessment and training tools that can be used to adequately determine a potential worker’s skills in a very specific area.
Training at the Speed of Industry
Industry must also dedicate resources to ongoing training for current workers. The need for ongoing training is real and cannot be ignored. Industries today need to attack the skills gap with a combination of skills-based hiring and instituting training of current workers that is practical and effective.
In his Forbes article, Glass argues that “a personalized approach to training can also be useful to employees and companies.” However, he acknowledges that, “[i]n large companies, especially, creating individualized learning paths manually can be time- and resource-intensive.” He also points out that “employees need training that fits into their workflows.”
Most companies cannot afford the luxury of sending workers off-site for a week or more at a time for in-depth training. Instead, they need focused, skills-based training that allows workers to obtain the hands-on skills they need while minimizing the effect on production of time away from the workplace.
Fortunately, a variety of training tools exist that can offer industries time-saving, cost-effective solutions for focused skills assessment and hands-on training. In the next section, we’ll take a closer look at DAC Worldwide’s range of single-topic trainers that can help industry move to a skills-based hiring model and also upskill current employees.
DAC Worldwide Offers Focused Assessment & Training Tools
DAC Worldwide offers training systems for a variety of industry sectors, including advanced manufacturing, process/chemical manufacturing, marine, military, oil and gas, and power generation. These training systems also cover many different technical topics, such as electrical and electronics; heat transfer and steam; mechanical drives; oil production; process control and instrumentation; and pumps, compressors, and valves.
Rather than broad-based training in multiple areas, DAC Worldwide’s training systems provide hands-on training focused on specific tasks. This makes them particularly helpful to employers for skill assessment (either pre-employment or for upskilling purposes). For example, DAC Worldwide offers training systems targeted specifically at key mechanical maintenance skills:
Belt Drive Training System
The Belt Drive Training System (201-000) allows for convenient assessment and training in the identification, installation, tensioning, and alignment of common belt drives types found in industry. Featuring hardware for applications related to multiple matched belts, fractional horsepower belts, positive drive belts, and variable pitch sheaves, the system provides a variety of training and assessment applications in one benchtop piece of equipment.
Coupling/Shaft Alignment Trainer
The Coupling/Shaft Alignment Trainer (208-000) allows for realistic training and assessment in shaft alignment. Designed based on the dimensions of a common ANSI centrifugal pump, this trainer can assess and train workers on all common alignment techniques and tools. Training and assessment topics include using a dial indicator in coupling/shaft alignment, the reverse dial indicator method, fabrication of shaft keys, and installing a flexible disc coupling.
Chain Drive Training System
The Chain Drive Training System (223-000) allows for in-depth assessment and training in industrial chain drives, heavy/silent chains, and sprocket set usage. Using industry-standard components workers will encounter on the job, this training system provides a complete training and assessment experience covering topics such as taper lock bushings, chain drive maintenance, installation/alignment of chains, and tensioning of chains.
Let DAC Worldwide Help You Fill Your Skills Gaps
The mechanical assessment and training tools highlighted above are just a few examples of the variety of technical training tools DAC Worldwide manufactures. In addition to training systems, DAC Worldwide also offers a wide range of industrial cutaways, detailed scale models, and sample boards featuring industrial components.
Contact a consultant with DAC Worldwide today to learn more about how their technical training tools can help you build the assessment and training program your company needs. Using DAC Worldwide training and assessment tools, you can transition to a skills-based hiring approach and fill the skills gaps in your organization!
About Duane Bolin
Duane Bolin is a former curriculum developer and education specialist. He is currently a Marketing Content Developer in the technical training solutions market.
- Published in News
Recognizing Red Flags: Training Workers to Prioritize Safety
Do you keep an eye out for red flags? If you’re still looking for that someone special, you might see red flags when their online dating profile indicates they’re unemployed and still living in their parents’ basement.
But those aren’t the red flags we’re talking about in this article. Red flags signify danger. They’re warning signs, and today’s workers need to recognize them in the workplace. Why? Their safety and wellbeing depends upon it.
Workplace safety remains a critical component of any industry’s success, yet it too frequently doesn’t get the attention it deserves. New technologies and the latest and greatest advances tend to capture the most attention, but the basics of safety can bring everything to a grinding halt if they’re ignored.
In this article, we’ll take a look at five red flags that workers must learn to recognize in order to make safety a top priority. We’ll also explain the importance of safety training and how the training tools offered by DAC Worldwide can help workers learn the skills that will keep them safe in the modern workplace.
5 Safety Red Flags Employees Must Learn to Recognize
How important is worker safety in your workplace? According to an IndustryWeek article by Matt Thiel and Dan Idzikowski, “nearly all [manufacturers] will say [safety is] a top priority…At the same time, the features and processes intended to keep people safe are rarely put to the test until a crisis occurs. It’s only when safety fails — when there is an injury or a near-miss — that companies question whether they are doing enough to protect workers.”
Modern industrial workplaces feature a wide variety of safety features designed to keep workers safe. Yet, workplace injuries remain a serious problem. For example, “more than 420,000 manufacturing workers were injured on the job in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accounting for 15% of all nonfatal injuries in the private sector that year.”
What can be done to improve workplace safety? According to Thiel and Idzikowski, “[s]afety planning starts by imagining the unimaginable…it’s critical to play devil’s advocate and ask what could happen that shouldn’t, and how both the equipment and the operator will respond if it does.”
Once safety risks are identified, workers must be trained to recognize situations in which particular care must be taken to avoid injury. Otherwise, “[w]hen safety is treated as an afterthought, it’s only a matter of time until a preventable accident happens.” Here are five specific red flags Thiel and Idzikowski belive workers must learn to recognize:
- Access: Workers must learn to recognize situations in which “[o]perators can access hazardous areas while the hazard is present. Systems that require hands-on operator involvement…have built-in risks…Making these systems safe may mean containing the hazard behind guards or designing the machine so it won’t run until the operator is clear. Whether the danger is readily apparent, like moving parts, or invisible, like electrical current, the best safeguards make it impossible for the operator to even get near.”
- Rules: Workers should be on high alert for situations in which “[p]eople are bypassing the rules.Safety depends on people choosing to follow the rules…Even well-trained people can be lulled into a false sense of security and start taking shortcuts to make work faster or easier…If people are looking for ways around a safety system, it’s probably not well aligned with the operation. Rather than disabling the mechanism or retraining the operators, analyze the entire system and find a way to marry safety with the way the process really works.”
- Alarms: Workers need to notify management when “[a]larm systems don’t distinguish between emergencies and non-emergencies…if the system treats everything like an emergency, workers will treat nothing like an emergency. Frequent false alarms will lead workers to ignore the warning signs or circumvent them.”
- Obsolete: Workers must learn to keep an eye out for “[s]afety features [that] are outdated.A test of older fail-safes may find they no longer work — if they ever did in the first place…Maintaining a safe work environment means ongoing risk assessment. Safety professionals should perform regular audits of the equipment on the shop floor and keep an eye out for advancements that could make it safer.”
- Routine: Workers should alert management when they notice that “[s]afety features are not regularly tested and validated…the systems that keep workers safe should be checked on a regular basis.”
If workers can learn to recognize these five red flags, safety will become a higher priority and everyone in the workplace will benefit. As Thiel and Idzikowski acknowledge, “[t]he return on investment in safety is hard to measure. If a company invests millions in safety upgrades and there are no near-misses, was it a waste of money or did the upgrades do their job? A better question is what might realistically happen without safety upgrades.”
Safety Training: Begin with the Basics
Basic safety procedures are essential to keeping employees from becoming injured on the job. While manufacturing jobs can be dangerous, instituting safety procedures and ensuring that employees are properly trained are critical steps that employers must take to minimize the risk of injuries or death.
Not only does proper safety training reduce the number of workplace injuries, but it also adds to a company’s bottom line by improving productivity and reducing downtime caused by employees who can’t work when injured. But where should an employer start? How about at the beginning?
One of the most basic—and important—areas to focus on is the control of hazardous energy, often known by its more popular moniker “lockout/tagout.” According to the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “[e]nergy sources including electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other sources in machines and equipment can be hazardous to workers. During the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the unexpected startup or release of stored energy can result in serious injury or death to workers.”
“Workers servicing or maintaining machines or equipment may be seriously injured or killed if hazardous energy is not properly controlled…Injuries may include electrocution, burns, crushing, cutting, lacerating, amputating, or fracturing body parts… Craft workers, electricians, machine operators, and laborers are among the millions of workers who service equipment routinely and face the greatest risk of injury.”
Fortunately, “[p]roper lockout/tagout (LOTO) practices and procedures safeguard workers from hazardous energy releases.” Teaching workers hands-on LOTO skills will help them to understand how to properly control hazardous energy and maintain a safe work environment.
DAC Worldwide Offers Superior LOTO Training
For companies looking to improve their safety training, a thorough review of current training materials is a great place to start. Do employees have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure the continued safety of the workforce.
Employers don’t need to recreate the wheel to move toward a skills-based approach to hiring. DAC Worldwide, an industry-leading manufacturer of technical assessment and training tools, offers a variety of solutions to the problems employers face.
For example, DAC Worldwide offers a safety training system specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master lockout/tagout skills. DAC Worldwide’s Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System (811-000) features a realistic, simulated working process environment that facilitates introductory training with hands-on activities related to the process of identifying and locking out sources of dangerous potential energy in an industrial setting.
Since technical training is most effective when learners can gain hands-on practice with industry-standard components they’ll encounter on the job, the Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System features a wide variety of common, industrial-quality components to provide learners with a realistic training experience that will build skills that translate easily to the workplace.
For example, the Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System features:
- two PVC process tanks with removable covers, vents, drains, and process connections;
- PVC process network with block valves, 3-way valves, figure-8 blinds, and descriptive valve tags;
- fractional HP magnetic drive centrifugal pump;
- drain collection and distribution tubing network with valved central collection manifold;
- electrical controls, with provision for lock-out, including primary service disconnect, motor starter switch, in-line GFI protector, and system plug connection; and
- a comprehensive lock-out/tag-out tool kit with color-coded locks, tags, multi-lock hasps, specialty electrical locking devices, valve locking devices of multiple designs, and a dedicated toolbox.
The Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System’s courseware consists of a training manual and hands-on exercises. These can be used as part of either an instructor-led course or self-directed study. A final performance assessment exercise is also provided, allowing the system to be used in an alternate configuration for testing purposes.
Contact a consultant with DAC Worldwide today to learn more about how their technical training tools can help you build the assessment and training program your company needs. Using DAC Worldwide training and assessment tools, you can transition to a skills-based hiring approach and fill the skills gaps in your organization!
- Published in News
What is Process Technology and why is it so important right now?
Process technology employees in the United States are the highly skilled operators of oil refineries, and the positions they hold require distinct training. Process technicians are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the production processes in a facility. They monitor equipment, operation, and safety systems, and are occasionally involved in the installation and repairing of equipment, like pumps, compressors, and electric motors. Students pursuing a career in process technology can often expect a good salary, job advancement opportunities, and an interesting, sometimes challenging, role using technology in manufacturing.
What is going on in the oil production industry?
Despite slowing growth, US oil production is on track to reach and all-time high in 2023. Output is expected to expand at an average rate of 840,000 barrels a day next year, down from a prior forecast of 860,000, according to the Energy Information Administration.
A reduction in supply from the United States could exacerbate an already fraught situation, in the midst of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and subsequent sanctions and trade embargos. Previously the US was relied upon as a key ancillary producer, that can subsidize the global supply as demand increases. The US has an immediate need for properly trained Oil Industry professionals, in order to ramp up domestic oil production.
In an effort to attract the skilled workforce of the future, The American Petroleum Institute (API) announced a new initiative encouraging veterans and transitioning service members to apply their skills in the oil and gas industry. Per worldoil.com; ‘participants obtain professional credentialing through API’s Individual Certification Programs (ICP).’ API plans to develop additional programs and tools to help transitioning service members and veterans. More information can be found here.
A great deal of workers left the Oil industry following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, there are still roughly 100,000 fewer oil and gas workers now in the country than before the pandemic despite the U.S. unemployment rate has falling to 3.6%, slightly above the pre-pandemic low. Companies such as Patterson-UTI raised wages last year because of competition from retailers that historically paid less than the oil industry.
Rystad forecasts that U.S. oil and gas employment is expected to recover this year (2022), and surpass pre-pandemic figures to an oilfield workforce of almost 1.1 million by the end of 2027. By the end of this year, U.S. oil and gas employment is expected to expand 12.5% to almost 971,000.
Specialized workers are key to restoring the workforce needed to ramp up production. DAC Worldwide’s process control and instrumentation products provide hands-on training for multiple tasks including those associated with flow, level, and temperature controlled processes.
DAC Worldwide’s Vertical Separator Trainer (295-101) is a reduced-scale, three-phrase vertical separator that mimics its real-world counterpart by using alternate production stream components, refined oil, air, and water.
https://dacworldwide.com/product/vertical-separator-trainer/
DAC Worldwide’s Vertical Separator Training System Plus (295-101-PAC) is a realistic working demonstration separation system duplicates the process at a reduced scale using alternate production stream components: refined oil, air, and water. Three-phase separators, both vertical and horizontal, perform a fundamental purpose in oilfield production operations. Using very basic physical principles of gravity separation, the device efficiently separates mixed raw oil and gas production streams into their component parts: crude oil, gas, and water.
https://dacworldwide.com/product/vertical-separator-training-plus/
More Oil and Gas training solutions from DAC can be found here.
- Published in News
Focused Assessment Key to Finding Workers with the Right Skills
Click HERE to view Focused Assessment Key to Finding Workers with the Right Skills as a multimedia presentation.
“Now Hiring!”
These days, it seems like it doesn’t matter what type of business you’re in. If your business is open, then it probably has one of these signs in the window.
As industries across every sector continue to navigate the ups and downs of an uneven economic recovery in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, hiring managers are struggling to fill open positions.
Whether you’re an employer looking to fill critical roles or an instructor trying to prepare your students for available jobs, it’s important to understand that now, more than ever, workers need the right skills to be successful in the modern industrial workplace.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the issues employers face trying to find workers with the right skills. We’ll also explain the importance of focused assessment and how the training tools offered by DAC Worldwide can help employers and instructors assess and train workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Why are there so many Open Manufacturing Jobs?
The COVID-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on manufacturers. Combining fluctuating demand with quarantining workers and vast supply chain disruptions, many manufacturers struggled to weather the many storms they faced.
Now that we’re in an extended period of uncertain recovery, things should be slowly getting better. After all, unemployed people do need jobs, right? Instead, manufacturers seem to be falling farther behind.
According to an article by Alexandra Johnson:
“The US manufacturing industry is forecast to grow 7% in 2021, yet with this anticipated growth, the industry is struggling to hire enough workers to meet demand. Before COVID, the situation was bad, but post-pandemic it has become even worse. Despite lockdown lifting, the industry is reporting over 515,000 jobs need filling, just to meet demand.”
Why are so many manufacturers having such a hard time filling their many open positions? Experts believe that a big part of the problem is that too many workers simply don’t possess the skills employers need.
Today’s manufacturing workplace isn’t the dirty, boring, repetitive assembly line some people erroneously imagine. Modern facilities feature cutting-edge technologies that require specialized skills that not enough workers seem to have these days.
How can Manufacturers find Workers with the Right Skills?
With so many open positions to fill, it might seem like manufacturers should simply hire anyone they can get their hands on and then train them to do the jobs they need done. This approach, however, isn’t advisable for a variety of reasons.
Primarily, manufacturers who are already struggling with a whole host of issues don’t have the bandwidth to babysit new workers while they acquire the training they need. Many manufacturers also don’t have either the personnel or the tools to effectively train new workers.
In an article in the Harvard Business Review, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky advocates for a new skills-based approach to hiring. Roslansky argues that a skills-based approach “is the future of hiring and development…At a time when talent is the number-one commodity in business, companies can’t afford to remain stuck in old mindsets.”
Roslansky urges employers to “[f]ocus on the results you’d like to see, rather than the type of qualifications that you think could deliver them. Highlighting the desired skills — the candidate’s ability to perform certain tasks — gets to the same results without creating an unnecessary barrier to entry, like a requirement for a four-year degree.”
In an article by Adina Miron, the author agrees:
“Skills-based hiring enables employers to hire for the skills gaps that exist within their organization. Rather than focusing on experience, education, or certifications, companies should focus on identifying candidates with the needed skills to fill open positions.”
Roslansky echoes these thoughts:
“Shifting to a skills-focused approach is a viable solution to an evolving workforce dilemma…Stay focused on skills — and the assessments that can measure them…there are plenty of ways to gauge a candidate’s ability to perform without relying on their education or experience as proxies.”
A Skills-Based Hiring Approach Requires Proper Assessment & Training Tools
The nature of manufacturing makes generalized assessments and comprehensive training systems difficult to use in the context of hiring new workers. Why? The answer can be found in the concept of specialization of labor.
According to an article by Sampson Quain:
“Specialization of labor…refers to a process in business in which large tasks are divided into smaller tasks, and different employees or different groups of employees complete those tasks. Specialization is highly desirable in large-scale operations such as…manufacturing because it allows workers with specific skill sets to efficiently perform a specific task.”
For example, a manufacturer may need to hire someone with a specific skillset related to the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of mechanical belt drives. A prospective candidate might claim to have general mechanical knowledge and skills, but how can the employer know whether the worker has the specific belt drive skills it needs?
To effectively use a skills-based hiring approach in manufacturing, employers need focused assessment and training tools that can be used to adequately determine a potential worker’s skills in a very specific area.
DAC Worldwide Offers Focused Assessment & Training Tools
Employers don’t need to recreate the wheel to move toward a skills-based approach to hiring. DAC Worldwide, an industry-leading manufacturer of technical assessment and training tools, offers a variety of solutions to the problems employers face.
In this section, we’ll take a closer look at several of DAC Worldwide’s focused assessment and training tools that employers can use to effectively and efficiently ensure that they’re hiring workers with the skills they need.
Belt Drive Training System (Model: 201-000)
The Belt Drive Training System allows for convenient assessment and training in the identification, installation, tensioning, and alignment of common belt drives types found in industry. Featuring hardware for applications related to multiple matched belts, fractional horsepower belts, positive drive belts, and variable pitch sheaves, the system provides a variety of training and assessment applications in one benchtop piece of equipment.
Coupling/Shaft Alignment Trainer (Model: 208-000)
The Coupling/Shaft Alignment Trainer allows for realistic training and assessment in shaft alignment. Designed based on the dimensions of a common ANSI centrifugal pump, this trainer can assess and train workers on all common alignment techniques and tools. Training and assessment topics include using a dial indicator in coupling/shaft alignment, the reverse dial indicator method, fabrication of shaft keys, and installing a flexible disc coupling.
Chain Drive Training System (Model: 223-000)
The Chain Drive Training System allows for in-depth assessment and training in industrial chain drives, heavy/silent chains, and sprocket set usage. Using industry-standard components workers will encounter on the job, this training system provides a complete training and assessment experience covering topics such as taper lock bushings, chain drive maintenance, installation/alignment of chains, and tensioning of chains.
Let DAC Worldwide Help You Fill Your Skills Gaps
The mechanical assessment and training tools highlighted above are just a few examples of the variety of technical training tools DAC Worldwide manufactures. In addition to training systems, DAC Worldwide also offers a wide range of industrial cutaways, detailed scale models, and sample boards featuring industrial components.
Contact a consultant with DAC Worldwide today to learn more about how their technical training tools can help you build the assessment and training program your company needs. Using DAC Worldwide training and assessment tools, you can transition to a skills-based hiring approach and fill the skills gaps in your organization!
- Published in News
Hands-On Training Essential for Nation’s Utility Workers
Click HERE to view Hands-On Training Essential for Nation’s Utility Workers as a multimedia presentation.
Do you ever daydream about going “off the grid”? For many, the thought of unplugging for an extended time away from life’s troubles sounds refreshing.
The reality underlying this common dream of escape is how thoroughly tied our lives are to the grid. What would our everyday routines be like without the utilities we so often take for granted?
We don’t give them much thought until Mother Nature intervenes with a foot of snow or an ice storm. When the lights go out, the Internet stops streaming, water freezes in the pipes, and furnaces quit heating, we think about nothing but our precious utilities until they return.
The unsung heroes in these situations are the nation’s frontline utility workers that must brave the elements to do their jobs in the worst circumstances. We wait anxiously and depend upon their expertise and dedication to restore our lives back to normal.
One day soon, though, we could find that wait lasting longer and longer. Why? Our nation’s utilities are facing an unprecedented — and worsening — shortage of workers with the skills necessary to keep the grid functional.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the looming shortage of utility workers across the country. We’ll also examine how one training center in Kansas is addressing the issue. Finally, we’ll discuss easy-to-use training options that any utility can use to provide safe, hands-on skills training to their frontline workers.
The Power & Utilities Skills Gap
Industries of all kinds across the nation are facing a critical shortage of skilled workers, and the power and utility industries are no exception. Demand for workers in these industries remains strong, but finding new workers to replace the many workers ready to retire is proving to be a substantial challenge.
In an Energy Central article, author Karen Marcus notes:
“As older workers retire, many utilities are finding it difficult to replace them, and to attract employees with the skills needed to advance a 21st century industry. According to T&D World, Airswift and Energy Jobline found in a survey of over 17,000 professionals that ‘48 percent of power professionals are concerned about an impending talent emergency, with 32 percent believing the crisis to have already hit the sector and 38 percent reporting that their company had been affected by skills shortages.’”
The shortage of skilled workers is real, and experts predict it’s only going to get worse in the future. According to Marcus:
“The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) reports that, according to one study, the industry will ‘need 105,000 new workers in the smart grid and electric utility industry by 2030, but expects that only 25,000 existing industry personnel are interested in filling those positions.’ The remaining 80,000 employees in this supply-demand mismatch will need to be filled through recruiting and training. However, the industry is not expected to meet the forecasted need with its current recruitment and training rates.”
Obviously, something needs to change. As the DoE QER states, “Industry hiring managers often report that lack of candidate training, experience, or technical skills are major reasons why replacement personnel can be challenging to find.”
If the power and utilities skills gap is to be bridged, utility companies must find a way to effectively provide safe, hands-on training to equip current and future workers with the critical skills they need to fill frontline positions as quickly as possible. Fortunately, solutions are available, and in the next section we’ll examine an exemplary approach taken by an association of municipal utilities in Kansas.
A Training Pioneer
Nearly two decades ago, Kansas Municipal Utilities (KMU), an association of more than 100 public utilities across the state of Kansas, recognized a dire need to effectively train the next generation of field workers. The groundbreaking solution KMU pioneered was finally brought to life a few years ago in the form of a $3.2 million training center.
As author Rick Aguilar notes in a T&D World article, KMU’s 20,000-square-foot training facility was seen as “a way to short-circuit the learning curve so utilities could swiftly prepare new hires to work as effective front-line employees.”
KMU’s training center allows for safe year-round training. Not only does the facility feature dozens of wood poles, but it also boasts a variety of industrial-grade components to create the most realistic distribution system possible.
For utility workers, real-world, hands-on training is essential. As Aguilar notes in his article:
“Because safety is an integral part of all utility work, the new training center helps the students learn through hands-on instruction. While they can pick up on key knowledge through sitting in class and reading books, the real rubber meets the road when they are actively participating in hands-on learning.”
For example, KMU’s training center allows workers “to get hands-on training in a controlled environment…[that] mitigates some of the hazards inherent in utility work, and it allows the field workers to make mistakes in a safe environment.”
KMU has found that a combination of classroom work and hands-on training is the ideal training experience. “For example, if KMU offers a workshop on transformer theory and connections, then the linemen can get hands-on experience immediately after they receive classroom instruction to connect their learning to actual work.”
Training Solutions for Everyone
As Aguilar notes in his article, “[m]any of the members of KMU are small in scope, and as such, they don’t have the ability to provide a comprehensive training program or build a facility of their own.” That’s why the KMU training center is such an important and valuable resource for Kansas utilities.
Nevertheless, “every utility needs to have a safe, qualified workforce.” So what are utilities in other states without the benefit of a KMU training facility supposed to do? Fortunately, there are a variety of training solutions that offer any utility the ability to provide critical hands-on skills training.
For example, DAC Worldwide manufactures a variety of unique training systems and industrial component cutaways that teach the essential hands-on skills frontline utility workers need most. In this final section, we’ll learn more about how utilities can use these systems to meet their training needs.
Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000)
DAC Worldwide’s Transformer Wiring Training System (408-000) is a realistic training device that replicates the conditions and circumstances that a utility worker encounters when making common power transformer connections in the field. This convenient tabletop training system provides hands-on training without the danger of full-voltage field experience.
For example, a 208VAC, three-phase source is stepped down, creating a 41VAC, three-phase system. The training system includes two complete sets of three-phase transformers so that paralleling can be explored. Users will also get first-hand experience using banana jacks, ground/primary connections, and secondary connections using both three-phase and single-phase applications.
Learners will study topics like analyzing transformer single-phase/three-phase voltages, identifying transformer turns ratio (TTR), and demonstrating how connections can produce incorrect motor rotation. They will also practice hands-on skills, such as performing transformer connections, interconnecting multiple transformers in Wye or Delta configurations, and simulating a burned-out transformer in a three-phase bank.
Transformer Connections Training System (491-000)
DAC Worldwide’s Transformer Connections Training System (491-000) teaches the key skills that a utility worker must master in order to confidently operate modern generating equipment, such as the paralleling of generators and connecting to a larger power grid. The system replicates the conditions and circumstances utility workers encounter when making common transformer connections in the field.
For example, learners can practice ground connections, primary connections, and secondary connections easily using banana jacks. Both three-phase and single-phase applications are provided, and a 208 VAC, 3-phase source is stepped down to a 41 VAC, 3-phase system for safety.
Users will find that the Transformer Connections Training System provides a safe and efficient, yet realistic alternative to a full-voltage field experience. Standard accessories include patch cords, fourteen (14) transformers, a panel-mounted voltmeter and phase rotation meter.
Industrial Transformer Cutaways
DAC Worldwide’s Single-Phase Transformer Cutaway (273-912) and Three-Phase Transformer Cutaway (273-915) are detailed, professionally-crafted transformer cutaways that depict a shell-type, single-phase transformer and a coaxially-wound, three-phase, delta-wye wired transformer, respectively.
Through careful sectioning, the complete internal configurations of these transformers can be seen. Details shown include the laminated steel core, primary and secondary windings, and primary insulation.
Common transformer brands and models are chosen for sectioning for industrial relevance. Users will gain valuable insight into the inner workings of these transformers that they will encounter on a regular basis in the field.
- Published in News
New Marine Corps Doctrine Promotes Education & Training
Click here to view New Marine Corps Doctrine Promotes Education & Training as a multimedia presentation.
The few. The proud. Who are we talking about? The Marines, of course. That particular recruiting slogan has been permanently etched into our memories over the years.
And it’s a great slogan. The Marines are legendary for a training regimen that weeds out all but the strongest, creating a fighting force to be reckoned with. Indeed, the Marines have been on the front lines of every major U.S. military campaign of the modern era.
To be prepared for the future, however, the Marines know that training the same way they have in the past will not be sufficient. That’s why a recent doctrinal publication puts a new focus on education and continued learning.
Industry, always closely connected to the military, would do well to put a renewed emphasis on education and training, too. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how partnering with a trusted technical training company like DAC Worldwide can prepare your students, workers, soldiers, and sailors for a bright future.
A New Doctrine for a New Era
According to a Marine Corps Times article, “the Marine Corps unveiled the Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 7 [MCDP 7] in February [2019] as the service aims to promote education, training, and continued learning among Marines so they become students of their profession.”
How significant was this doctrinal development? MCDP 7 was the first new doctrinal publication issued by the Marines since 2001. Its goal: “to motivate Marines to personally assess where they can improve and understand the ‘why’ behind the significance of learning.”
Maj. Gen. William Mullen was quoted as saying “that he’s heard Marines say they joined the service to escape an academic education. But the Corps wants its personnel to understand that the two complement one another and that education prepares Marines to think quickly when faced with challenges.”
According to Mullen, “You need both training and education. Training prepares you for things you know you’re going to have to do…But the education piece comes in when the unknown starts to happen, which it always does.” Mullen specifically referred to the fact that the environments Marines face today present challenges that are only growing more complex.
This new doctrinal change comes as “Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger is working to remake the Corps to better compete with potential high-end adversaries…Berger wants a leaner force to conduct sea denial operations, survive in a contested maritime environment and serve as a larger Naval expeditionary force.”
It’s Not Just the Marines
Speaking of the Navy, the Marine Corps Times article notes that the Navy announced in May 2019 “that it was modifying fitness reports to reflect an individual’s educational and training accomplishments, including military education courses, professional and academic certifications, among other things.”
Like the Marines’ new focus on education and continued learning, the Navy’s modified fitness reports are meant to “show that career-long military learning isn’t only job-related technical or tactical training, and that a commitment to higher education will produce Navy leaders with more refined critical thinking skills,” according to an article in the Navy Times.
Future Navy fitness reports will thus document educational performance, including “[m]ilitary educational courses, civilian institution coursework, and professional and academic certifications.” Navy leadership also indicated they will also encourage additional informal efforts, such as learning new technologies.
It’s All COOL
It’s no coincidence that the Marines and the Navy would emphasize professional and academic certifications. Much of the training that military personnel receive prepares them for future civilian jobs.
Obtaining professional and academic certifications while in the military can make it easier for personnel to transition to civilian life when their service is finished. All branches of the military recognize the importance of certifications in making that transition as easy as possible.
For example, the Marine Corps COOL site (Marine Corps Credentialing Opportunities On-Line) helps Marines see how their military training and experience matches up with civilian credential requirements. Such credentials could include important and valuable advanced manufacturing credentials from entities like the National Institute of Metalworking Skills (NIMS) and the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC).
Marines using the COOL site can see whether military funding is available to help attain particular credentials. They can also see how the training and skills they’ve already acquired might match up with specific credentials valued by employers, such as NIMS’ Industrial Technology Maintenance (ITM) certification or MSSC’s Certified Production Technician (CPT) certification. There are also COOL sites for the Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force.
Industry Must Also Evolve
Given the military’s new focus on education and continued learning, it’s important that industries that work with and support the military evolve in a similar fashion. The military-industrial complex consists of all sorts of industries that work closely with the military to help them accomplish their mission.
These industries should take a cue from their military counterparts and begin to develop a similar focus on education and continued learning among their workforce. Industry workers will only be able to continue to keep pace with their military counterparts if they’re also seeking new educational opportunities and learning new skills and technologies.
Pushing an industrial workforce or a military organization toward more education and greater skill development can be a daunting task. That’s why it’s imperative that both the military and their industrial counterparts seek out and rely upon the expertise of a trusted technical training partner.
A Trusted Education & Training Partner
DAC Worldwide is a US-based world leader in technical training solutions. For over 35 years, DAC Worldwide has been helping industrial employers and military organizations with realistic, hands-on training systems.
DAC Worldwide offers a wide range of product solutions to fit all your training needs. From training systems that teach a full range of skills to cutaways that increase understanding of how a component works, we have what you need.
For example, many military personnel work in the same skilled occupations as civilians. This means they need a solid foundation in various technologies, including electrical, electronics, fluid power, and mechanical drives.
Whether you train military personnel working on military bases or civilian crews with military contracts, DAC Worldwide’s military training solutions offer an unmatched range of products to allow you to create the course you need or to fill in any gaps that you have in your current training.
Let’s take a closer look at four specific DAC Worldwide products that can take your training program to the next level:
Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System (811-000)
DAC Worldwide’s Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System features a realistic, simulated working process environment that facilitates introductory training with hands-on activities related to the process of identifying and locking out sources of dangerous potential energy in an industrial setting. The training system includes two process tanks; a centrifugal pump; a complex, multi-purpose piping network; electrical controls; a variety of lockable system components; and a lock-out/tag-out kit that features a large number of commonly-encountered locking and tagging devices.
Basic Electricity Training System (400-PAC)
DAC Worldwide’s Basic Electricity Training System teaches basic AC and DC electrical principles. Learners will explore how electricity is used for power and control in various sectors. The trainer covers industry-relevant skills, such as installing, operating, and troubleshooting AC and DC electrical circuits in a variety of applications.
Piston Pump Cutaway (278-132)
DAC Worldwide’s Piston Pump Cutaway is an industrial piston pump that has been carefully sectioned and color-coded to train learners in the design, operation, construction, and maintenance of this common process pump used throughout industry. The cutaway exposes and showcases the complete internal configuration of an industrial piston pump. Moreover, seal features and bearings have been retained to allow realistic, hands-on pump maintenance and operation training.
Centrifugal Pump Cutaway (278-101)
DAC Worldwide’s Centrifugal Pump Cutaway is a sectioned centrifugal pump that provides realistic training in the operating principles, construction details, and maintenance of common centrifugal process pumps used throughout industry and the military. It includes various sectioned components, such as seals and bearings, as well as showcasing the pump’s impeller.
Contact DAC Worldwide Today
Is your organization ready to take its industrial technical training to the next level? Contact a DAC Worldwide expert today for a personal consultation regarding your training needs and how our variety of training systems, cutaways, dissectibles, and models can prepare both industrial workers and military personnel for the future challenges they face.
- Published in News
5 Skills Every HVAC Technician Should Possess
To view ‘5 Skills Every HVAC Technician Should Possess’ as a Multimedia Presentation, please click here.
While the national unemployment rate might be near all-time lows (3.5-percent in Dec. 2019), one industrial job is expected to grow by more than 46,000 jobs over the next decade: HVAC technicians.
Thanks to a push of commercial and residential building construction that is expected to drive employment growth and job opportunities, the employment outlook is expected to increase by 13-percent over the next 10 years. That is a sizable leap from the national average for all occupations, which sits at 5-percent over the next 10 years.
Not only are there currently enough jobs to go around, but a spike in upcoming retirements has some employers desperate for qualified talent. That’s good news for those interested in joining the HVAC field, as it places them firmly in the driver’s seat of finding an ideal professional match.
So with jobs aplenty, what skills are employers most focused on when hiring HVAC technicians? DAC Worldwide, a company with 40 years of experience working with industry and technical education, has compiled a list of the five most meaningful HVAC technician skills companies are in search of:
1. In-Depth Knowledge of HVAC Systems and Methods
Doctors know medicine. Car mechanics know cars. To be successful in a profession, employees must understand the craft inside and out.
HVAC technicians are no different. They are responsible for knowing about a wide range of HVAC systems, controls, and installation methods, and quite literally, need to know about everything from hot to cold.
Whether technicians are threading and installing gas piping, or laying out duct systems, a deep understanding of all things HVAC is critical. Not only should technicians have the hands-on skills to perform each task, but they should back that up with a strong theoretical knowledge of their subject.
One way to enhance the understanding of HVAC systems is by taking a deep dive into how each piece of equipment works along the process. DAC Worldwide, for example, produces full-size industrial component cutouts that allow learners to take a peek inside real HVAC equipment for the first time. Now, students can see inside the equipment they might be fixing firsthand, providing an unparalleled training tool.
Today’s HVAC systems can be assembled, disassembled, repaired, and programmed, so having a background of mechanical skills is a key component to building a successful technician career. (After all, the more technical knowledge that a technician has from the start, the faster they can learn new skills, an attribute companies consider to be highly valuable.)
2. Acute Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving Skills
The goal for every HVAC technician is the same – aim for safe, timely, and effective services every time. In order for that to happen, techs need to be quick-thinking workers, equipped with a collection of problem-solving techniques, and possess familiarity with the latest diagnostic and testing equipment.
In just one work day, technicians may face a wide variety of issues: one customer may have total system failure, while another is dealing with noise issues, or temperature balancing problems. Being able to quickly size-up the problem, identify solutions, and implement a resolution is the key to finding success as an HVAC technician.
Problem-solving is impossible without an acute attention to detail. So along with ingenuity, employers are also looking for workers that are detail-oriented. Not only should technicians be able to track the work they are completing, but they should also be aware of the intricacies of the equipment they are working on. Sometimes, not paying attention to the details could be costly – either to the equipment, or the technician’s safety. Effective troubleshooting is a combination of accepted troubleshooting procedures supported by a solid knowledge of how these systems work to perform their operations.
Thanks to using real-world components, DAC Worldwide’s HVAC cutaways take detailed training to another level. By providing a look inside authentic components found in HVAC systems worldwide, learners can truly understand the fine details of the equipment’s inner workings. To truly understand how a component can fail, technicians must first understand how it works.
3. Extensive Knowledge of Safety Standards and Protocols
A day in the life of an HVAC technician is not exactly a walk in the park.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, technicians have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. While most of these can be prevented by following safety protocols, it does have the potential to be a dangerous career.
So despite working heights, in confined spaces, or attached to scaffolding, having comprehensive knowledge of proper preventative safety standards can keep workers healthy and business moving. From hazardous tasks like lifting heavy objects to installing electric wires and controls, understanding personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety codes could be the difference between technicians suffering an injury, or not.
On top of personal safety, HVAC technicians need to be well-versed in government regulations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, requires that all technicians who work with refrigerants be certified in proper refrigeration handling. There are additional regulations on how to handle pressurized gases, refrigerants, and other toxic or hazardous materials, so knowing regulations surrounding proper and safe disposal will not only protect technicians from an accident or injury, but will also keep clients and the environment safe.
4. Soft Skills, Communication, and Flexibility
Whether it’s a personal relationship or professional contact, we’ve all heard about the importance of first impressions: You only get one, so make it count.
Having a clean, professional appearance, listening to the customer, and showing all-around common courtesy are essential skills that can make or break a first meeting. Out in the field, employees are the face of the company, so making a good first impression is crucial for success of the business.
Possessing natural Customer Service skills are equally as important to this career as the technical skills a technician has. Not only is it a tech’s job to explain repairs and answer questions in a non-technical way, but they need to make the clients feel comfortable, building trust and rapport. This might require a little patience too, as their issues might have been ongoing, and frustration may be mounting. But in the end, having the ability to calmly and professionally talk through all of the issues and potential solutions will put everyone at ease.
Finally, in the world of an HVAC technician, every day is a new adventure. No matter the season, HVAC technicians are expected to work, even in uncomfortable situations.
Sometimes it’s too hot because the air conditioning isn’t working – other times the heat is out, making work conditions frigid. Even in the dead of winter, technicians might have to work outdoors, fixing heat exchanges, for example. Taking ‘flexible’ in a much more literal sense, some units are located in tight spaces, forcing technicians’ bodies to bend and curve in positions they didn’t know it could.
Being flexible is just part of the game. In this line of work, “That’s not my job” doesn’t exist. Sometimes, just being able to make changes on a whim, and occasionally just rolling with the punches, are the most effective tools a technician needs in his or her arsenal.
5. Willingness to Continue HVAC Learning and Training
If smart devices have taught us anything, it proves how quickly (and drastic) technology can change over decades. From minor tweaks to major overhauls, each update includes newer options and faster speeds.
The HVAC industry is no different. While it may not move with the veracity of cell phone technology, tools and equipment are being continuously adjusted to run more efficiently.
Today, there is also a continued push for greater energy efficiency, which includes phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) in favor of Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants, and a rise of “zero emission building plans” and other green building standards. Soon, the HVAC industry will see an increase of variable speed technologies, which will improve electrical efficiency, air quality, and humidity control.
Without continued re-training within the field, technicians run the risk of encountering a component they can’t fix. So by having the willingness to continually hone their skills will not only be beneficial to their future professional success, but will also ensure timely, safe repairs and installations for all parties involved.
- Published in News