Grow Your Own Craft Technicians Using a “Systems Approach” to Training

by Dr. Dave Just, formally Dean of Corporate and Continuing Education at Community Colleges in MA, OH, PA, SC. Currently President of K&D Consulting

I have a long history with Proactive Technologies, Inc.^®, partnering with them to help employers in a number of states since 1994. Together we have advocated the use of a “systems approach” to training that includes a combination of related technical instruction and structured on-the-job training to develop multi-craft maintenance technicians, advanced manufacturing workers, management and support classifications. This approach works equally as well with any job classification within an organization and is a viable option to paying tens of thousands of dollars per year to employment recruiters or recruiting efforts to locate these technicians on a nationwide basis…who still need to be trained once hired anyway. Plus, once the investment is made to setup the infrastructure, the employer can train as many workers as needed – with a declining investment per trainee and increasing ROI.

The systems approach to training, if built correctly for the company, forms the infrastructure of a highly effective, low-cost and low-to-no administrative burden apprenticeship (registered or not) model. This model can quickly and cost-effectively produce the workers needed, who will be qualified to perform the tasks required at the employer’s facility (not some conceptual position or a position down the road). Based on detailed job/task analysis, data is collected by Proactive Technologies’ experts using the employer’s existing documentation and internal subject matter experts, who have the final review before the data is used. A complete set of worker development materials and Key Performance Indicator reports are generated by Proactive Technologies’ PROTECH^©® system of managed human resource development™ software for immediate use, updated monthly to keep the program always current, accurate and in sync with the firm’s specifications, standards and requirements. Most importantly, technical support to the project includes project implementation management, so the employer can focus on running their business without adding to, or burdening, existing staff.

The “Systems Approach to Worker Development” is effective because it builds an infrastructure around the informal, unmeasured and undocumented on-the-job training the employer already is struggling with. So the approach to deliberate training is familiar and much better – easy to slide into existing practices. To establish the foundation:

Step 1: Worker Development System Creation

1. A Thorough Job/Task Analysis is the heart of the program. Proactive Technologies personnel perform an onsite, thorough job/task analysis on the job(s) targeted by the employer, which includes each task’s “best practice” procedure, reference document information, safety information and known problems/problem response (or prevention). This process has been greatly accelerated by the use of the PROTECH software and Proactive Technologies’ expertise gained over 40 years of direct experience.
2.  A number of assessment firms provide written and online assessments which can be used for pre-hire candidate screening or for incumbent worker placement to assess their current skill levels in preparation for core-skill and related technical instruction training.  The assessments are customized for each client company based on the same job/task analysis data collected by Proactive Technologies to set up the structured on-the-job training.  In this way, the client is ensured content validity and legal defensibility of the assessment instruments and accurate selection of related technical instruction for their workers – both accurately aligned to the same outcome – job mastery. Once a maintenance technician completes the online assessment program, an individual learning plan is created focusing on those areas in which the individual needs to improve their core skill sets.  This streamlines the related technical instruction learning process by eliminating those areas/skills for which the person has already demonstrated competency.

Step 2: Implementation

Blended Learning incorporates a variety of training methods to deliver the best results. Structured on-the-job training makes sure the worker can apply what is learned into the performance of the tasks designed by, and required by, the employer. Both are combined into a “hybrid approach” for worker development.

1. For related technical instruction, some learning can be done via Online training modules. These modules fall into two categories: Core Competencies and Specific Competencies.  Based on assessment results and the employer’s specific job/task analysis data, a trainee might take 8 to 14 of these online modules.   Classroom instruction is best used for those topics that need to be taught to all trainees to be cost-effective.  This might include motor controls, PLCs (Siemens) and robotics where the company wants hands on training sessions to ensure the technicians can perform these new skill sets in a lab situation before they perform these skill sets on live equipment on the shop floor.
2. The structured OJT program as developed and managed by Proactive Technologies, is “customized” to each new-hire and incumbent worker and the structured on-the-job training materials are based on the employer’s job/task analysis data.  Each worker will be trained to perform actual tasks required of the job classification as they would have done so informally before, but now with structure and documentation of reaching “task mastery” on their way to “full job mastery.”  Each worker’s training is tracked and reported monthly to the client. These structured on-the-job training outcomes become another check to further validate the effectiveness of the pre-hire or employee assessments used in Step 1, number 2 above.
3. Project Implementation Support – Local career and technical instruction schools and providers can facilitate assessments and online training for the related technical instruction, and Proactive Technologies manages the structured on-the-job training implementation so the employer can focus on business – no additional training or human resource staff needed. In addition, Proactive Technologies will provide project technical support for the client’s organization with other turn-key project services that the data makes possible such as ISO/AT/TS and Nadcap quality program support, LEAN effort support and state/federal training grant application and documentation.

Case Examples

One North Carolina client company K & D Consulting worked with in 2015 was opening a new plant and needed to hire 10 multi-skilled maintenance technicians. They used the assessment as a pre-hire tool in addition to a series of job-specific hands-on assessments. A total of 68 job candidates were assessed with 16 passing the exam at the client’s predetermined level of acceptance. That is a pass rate of 24%. This group then moved on in the interview process, which saved the company from spending a lot of time on the other 52 candidates who could not meet the skill level requirements needed by the company.

Before retiring and starting a workforce development consulting business, in my capacity as Director or Vice President of Corporate and Continuing Education at community and technical colleges, I partnered with Proactive Technologies with this systems approach to training for a wide range of job classifications in Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and South Carolina since 1994. Employers understood the simplicity and logic of this approach, and appreciated the results. From the Proactive Technologies Report archives:

“Downturn Hits Employers and Community Colleges Hard – Successful Training Partnerships Resuming After Both Adjust”

“Spartanburg Community College Rolls Out Its Aggressive Customized Apprenticeship Training Campaign”

“Spartanburg Community College Workforce Development Technology information page”

“Community College of Allegheny County New Initiative”

“North Shore Community College New Worker Training Program”

“North-Central Technical College – “Implementing On-The-Job Learning” Book – Excerpt Chapter of Steel Mill Case Study”

Proactive Technologies’ president Dean Prigelmeier and I presented the concept at a variety of conferences over the years, many times with manufacturing clients sharing their experiences. As time passed, we found that the combination of technical instruction and structured OJT formed the foundation for an apprenticeship program that any company can implement in a cost-effective, highly efficient manner. Many have even registered “as is” as apprenticeships under the “hybrid” and “competency” models accepted by the state and U.S. Department of Labor.

Many of the early adopters to the systems approach continue to successfully utilize this model One employer in particular, Triumph Thermal Systems, LLC., continued program implementation for 19 job areas in their manufacturing plant since 2000, averaging approximately 120 hourly workers. When job-reassignment training, cross-training and new-hire training to replace retiring technical experts are combined, this represents around 480 separate training tracks that lead to “full job mastery” in multiple job classifications. Some employees have mastered all the tasks of 3 – 4 job classifications. At Triumph, all of this was accomplished through a period of business expansion without adding one person to the human resources department!

To learn more, plan to attend the Proactive Technologies upcoming live online presentations by clicking on this link or in the Proactive Technologies Report live online presentation listings. Visit the Proactive Technologies website for more information.