During the month of April, U.S. manufacturing rose at the fastest pace it has seen over the last 10 months. Hiring, production and the amount of new orders all increased in the past month. The boost in factories indicates a stronger economy than the recently released data had hinted at. The growth brings a sign of hope following last week’s report of slowed hiring in the early days of April. A trade...
As the U.S. economy trudges up the hill to recovery, it is bound to hit a few bumps in the road. Recently the Department of Commerce reported that economic growth slowed in the first three months of the new year. Cutbacks in government spending as well as an increase in business investments offset the boost in consumer spending during the first quarter. These results show promise of continued growth, however the rise...
Industrial training is perhaps one of the most important steps in workforce development. However, throughout the years many myths have come about as a result of both quality and poor manufacturing training. Some of these myths are listed below: 1. When the going gets tough, cut training. This is statement is not only false but it’s absurd. It’s understandable that deciding on what budgets to cut is not a simple task to...
When it comes to cost-cutting plans in many manufacturing plants, often the first of the budgets to be eliminated is that for workforce development. However, this is one of the most common errors made in manufacturing management when it comes to industrial skills training. Another common mistake is that managers do not take the time to step back and properly analyze the current skill level of their staff and the objectives they...
Industrial safety training is no joke. While accidents are inevitable, manufacturing managers should do all they can to prevent them. Aside from offering the safest work space possible, they can also provide industrial employees with the opportunity to take part in safety training. Manufacturing training which focuses on plant safety alone is critical to ensure safe practices during production. However, implementing quality maintenance training is equally as important. A workforce with a...
Process and control training are critical to ensuring your plant floor it operating correctly and to its full potential. However, maintenance training is just as pertinent to warrant a successful production line. While instrumentation training and general industrial skills training are among the most popular courses opted to be implemented by managers, maintenance training is perhaps just as important and should be utilized as supplementary courseware. No matter what field you’re in,...
Time and time again we attempt to express the growing importance of industrial training. However, often industrial training is hoped to be the remedy that will fix all skill set related issues among your workforce. In reality, that’s not the case. Often the real troubled areas are overlooked and as a result the potential of successful industrial training diminishes. Manufacturers invest both time and money in selecting and implementing the right industrial...
The Bloomberg News recent survey of economists reported a 0.5 percent increase in factory, mine and utility output for the month of March based on the median of 68 forecasts. The March gain follows a 0.7 percent increase in February. The expected share of industrial capacity currently in use is approximately 81.4 percent, the highest it has been since September of 2000 which came in at 81.2 percent. The increase comes as...
On Monday the formation of the nonprofit group JobKeeper Alliance was announced. The group’s mission will be to assist in the creation and preservation of middle-class jobs in the state of Alabama. Stewart Burkhalter has been the master mind behind the project since his recent retirement from the Alabama AFL-CIO after serving as the president for 17 years. Burkhalter acknowledged that labor and business don’t often see eye to eye, however both...
So we have convinced you that industrial skills training is the greatest way to enhance your employee performance and boost your bottom line. But, now it’s time to determine exactly how you’ll implement your industrial training courseware. How can you be sure your adult learners are grasping and understanding the content you are offering? How will you track their progress so you can be reassured they are participating and successfully completing your...
Washington recently reported that U.S. employers added nearly 227,000 jobs during the month of February. The spike in hiring continued the greatest three month rise of job creation since the recession. The Labor Department noted that the unemployment rate remained at 8.3 percent during February, staying at its lowest percentage within the past three years. During the past three months the U.S economy has created an average of 245,000 jobs. A survey...
Training skills are not easy to come by. The most effective methods and the greatest intentions can all go unnoticed when it comes to implementing industrial training skills if the adult learner is not fully understood. Malcolm Knowles, who is credited with revolutionizing the adult learning field, identified key principals which are critical in understanding adult learning tendencies. These critical principles can ultimately help manufacturing managers not only put in place quality...
Thus far into the new year, the economy has seen promising growth. Factories have been fulfilling more orders, retailers have been making more sales and more jobs have been created as a result. On Wednesday morning, the Federal Reserve reported all 12 of the banking districts have seen growth all through January as well as during the first half of February. Thanks to the positive economic growth the manufacturing industry has also...
This past Thursday the United Sates Labor Department stated that worker productivity in the final three months of 2011 rose relatively slowly. During the October to December quarter the annual rate reached only 0.7 percent. This rate was significantly lower than that of the previous quarter which reached nearly 1.9 percent. The recent slow in productivity could potentially mean increased hiring if the economy picks up. Productivity is defined as the amount...