PMMI Announces Best Practices for Industrial Training
ARLINGTON, Va.—The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI) announced the creation of best practices for technical training. The best practices will help machinery, component, and materials suppliers as well as consumer products companies develop focused training programs that increase performance, improve workplace safety, and lower the total cost of operation. The best practices came from discussions by end users and member companies of the PMMI Technical Training Community of Practice.
The Community of Practice is an open forum for end-users and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to address common challenges in operator training in order to develop best practices and clearly define expectations. The Community of Practice provides guidance and direction to the PMMI Certified Trainer Program.
Community of Practice members include PIAB, Mettler-Toledo Safeline, Omega Design Corporation, Pactiv Corporation, Anheuser-Busch, Kraft Foods, Kroger Company, Rockwell Automation, Goodman Packaging, and PMMI.
“High turn-over rates, complex technology, and a trend toward automation, is making training more valuable than ever,” said Ray Goode of Anheuser-Busch. “PMMI’s lead in establishing standards is helping companies overcome challenges and know what to demand from effective training.”
The best practices include:
1. Performance
Training should be framed with the intent to improve the business as a whole. It is important that business/operational needs are assessed and training programs are custom tailored to tackle business-specific needs, helping to calculate the value and expectations of training.
Training should be part of a vision to create a knowledge-based organization. The ultimate goal of training is to reduce the total cost of ownership through better machine performance, employee safety, and increased uptime. Analyzing these goals helps to set a performance bar.
Measurement and outcome strategies are clearly outlined and should include class feedback, on-the-job behavior, testing and data on organizational results.
2. Focus
Each training program must be tailored to its specific audience and it is crucial that trainers and end-users discuss expectations, targeted goals and approaches to conflict resolution. External trainers should also assist in developing the customer’s capabilities by coaching internal trainers.
Train-the-trainer programs allow for knowledge transfer methods which enable the customer’s personnel to continue independent training as needed. A solid internal knowledge base is critical to maintaining plant efficiency and machine reliability, especially considering the high turnover rates in the manufacturing industry.
3. Documentation
Training materials must be thorough, user friendly and readily available. Equipment manuals must be geared toward the level of the user and contain frequent and accurate graphic references which represent the exact equipment model. Job aids and troubleshooting guides must be sturdy, easily seen and frequently updated.
Class overview and outlines should be detailed and presented to the customer to assist in developing future internal and external training plans.
4. Competence
The instructor should be well-trained, organized and on-time. An effective instructor is not only extremely familiar with the materials, but also able to adapt to cultural and generational learning styles that may exist within an organization.
Training should stimulate an active learning environment with a focus on class discussion and safety. Lessons must be delivered consistently and built around detailed lesson plans. Participants should be actively involved in the learning process and spend at least 80 percent of the time working on the floor.
The training area should be free from distraction and conducive to learning.
“We hope these best practices are adopted by suppliers and end users as a way to facilitate training partnerships and improve the quality of training offered across the packaging industry,” said Maria Ferrante, PMMI’s director of workforce development. “Look for additional guidance as the Community of Practice develops.”
The PMMI Certified Trainer Program is a train-the-trainer program that teaches instructors in the packaging field the skills needed to provide quality instruction to improve equipment reliability, employee safety and efficiency. PMMI Certified Trainers learn the skills necessary to create valuable documentation and content. Trainers work closely with end-users to create a purpose-driven training curriculum that emphasizes practical learning and problem-solving.
The program is a direct result of end-user’s need for better training, documentation and a cohesive set of standards. The program is designed ultimately reduce the total cost of ownership of machinery by creating a knowledge-based workforce.
