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March 2012 Issue:

The Scoop: Targeted Training Begins with Proper Assessment

Tooling Components: Tooling Balls 101

Eat Whole Grains, Live Longer

Trendy Terrariums

An Ounce of Prevention for Home Sales

U.S. States with Native American Names

March Celebrity Birthdays

March Jokes and Comics

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The Scoop: Targeted Training Begins with Proper Assessment

Key Points

  • Insufficient training on the care of automated manufacturing systems and equipment can lead to breakdowns and costly repairs.
  • An effective training program must be designed with specific goals in mind.
  • Develop a skills assessment that will test the knowledge and capabilities of maintenance personnel.


Targeted Training Begins with Proper Assessment

Skills Assessment is Essential for Equipment Maintenance Training

Manufacturers today rely on automated manufacturing systems and equipment more than ever before. As a result, many companies are finding that the knowledge and skills of their maintenance personnel are not always sufficient to properly care for their automated equipment. This can lead to equipment breakdowns, expensive repair bills, costly downtime, and loss of profits.

While training seems to be the obvious solution, it is difficult to know where to begin. To be effective, training programs must be carefully designed and directed toward specific goals. Start by conducting a skills assessment of maintenance personnel to ascertain their current skill level, the maintenance needs of the organization, and to determine what needs to be addressed in order to develop an effective training program.

Training is not the only solution. To increase the quality and productivity of their work, it is important to provide employees with a work environment that allows them to use the skills and knowledge they acquire.

Components of a Skills Assessment

A maintenance skills assessment should contain the following components, designed to test the knowledge of maintenance personnel and their job capabilities as well:

Written test. This component assesses the required knowledge for the specific set of skills needed. Test maintenance personnel on fundamentals, knowledge of specific mechanical and electrical systems, theories, principles, and mathematical skills.

•    Identification. This component assesses knowledge of specific skills through written or oral examination. Have employees explain their overall knowledge of specific systems, and name specific parts and explain their uses.

•    Performance. This component appraises the on-the-job capabilities and problem-solving abilities of maintenance personnel.  Ask employees to carry out simulated or actual maintenance tasks while under observation, and have assessors determine whether the employee is capable of performing the tasks within the guidelines of accepted work practices.

While skills assessments vary for each company, a typical maintenance skills assessment will include both a mechanical and an electrical assessment:

MechanicalElectrical
Motors and couplings
Fundamentals of electricity
Principles of mechanics
Electrical safety
WeldingTest equipment
Lubrication
Motors and generators
Hydraulics and pneumaticsControl devices
Gears and drives
Power distribution
  
Skills Assessment Results. Analyze assessment data and share the results with management and the employees involved. Results can be reported in the following three ways:
•    A department summary report with the overall score of all employees tested
•    A subject report containing the scores of all staff tested by subject area
•    Individual test results for each staff member tested

Skills assessments can be developed and carried out in-house by the maintenance manager in conjunction with other department managers and knowledgeable staff, or it can be conducted by an outside consulting firm or a local technical college. The assessment report can be used to identify specific training needs, to develop a training curriculum, and to deliver training in target areas. Moreover, it can be used as a benchmark for future assessments.

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