Manufacturing training provides employees with the skills needed for safely operating intricate machinery and efficiently completing complex processes.
Common topics for manufacturing training include:
- Onboarding — Set your employees up for success in their role by introducing them to their organization and mapping out their responsibilities.
- Equipment Knowledge — Ensure your employees know how to operate and repair equipment safely and accurately.
- Process Training — Teach complex processes and allow for hands-on training that helps employees work at full capacity.
- Safety Training — Keep your employees safe on the job by teaching them best practices and creating a workforce of proactive safety advocates.
The manufacturing industry has been facing an unprecedented skilled labor shortage, with as many as 2.4 million jobs projected to be unfilled between 2018 and 2028. While the industry is growing, manufacturers are struggling to fill these open positions.
Now more than ever before, it’s critical that organizations in manufacturing actively participate in the training and development of their employees. By doing so, they can fill these vacant positions and work to maintain their current workforce.
Our team at Roundtable Learning knows that trying to balance fundamental learning without affecting productivity is difficult. We’ve worked with manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution organizations to help drive measurable results without compromising processes and equipment.
In this article, we’ll discuss common manufacturing training topics, provide 3 reasons manufacturing training is important, and explore an example of a blended learning program for manufacturing training.
Common Manufacturing Training Topics
Manufacturing training provides employees with the skills needed for safely operating intricate machinery and efficiently completing complex processes.
Manufacturing training topics include:
- Onboarding — Set your employees up for success in their role by introducing them to their organization and mapping out their responsibilities.
- Equipment Knowledge — Ensure your employees know how to operate and repair equipment safely and accurately.
- Process Training — Teach complex processes and allow for hands-on training that helps employees work at full capacity.
- Safety Training — Keep your employees safe on-the-job by teaching them best practices and creating a workforce of proactive safety advocates.
While manufacturing training covers a wide variety of topics that prepare employees for the job, this training ultimately fuels an organization’s ability to innovate and grow. When organizations invest in the training and upskilling of their workforce, they keep their employees up-to-date on their job functions, ultimately leading to improved output.
Take Training To The Next Level With Extended Reality
Your organization can elevate your manufacturing training by utilizing multiple learning modalities in a comprehensive training program. For example, your organization could use soundless eLearning modules that review safety training and can be completed at the employee’s workstation.
Another example would be using immersive technology, such as virtual reality (VR), that allows learners to explore valuable pieces of equipment via VR headset. This provides a unique learning environment where learners can feel comfortable taking risks and learning from mistakes.
Read More: How To Effectively Use XR Training In High-Risk Industries: 4 Examples
3 Reasons Manufacturing Training Is Important
Keeps Employees Safe On-The-Job
Manufacturing training ensures that employees know how to carry out the critical functions of their role safely. This not only keeps the employee themself safe on the job, but also keeps their coworkers safe as well.
Training with immersive learning technologies, such as VR or augmented reality (AR), places manufacturing employees in a learning environment where they practice operating and repairing equipment without risking their safety. This ensures they’re prepared for the job and can confidently carry out processes.
Increases Employee And Production Efficiencies
Organizations can expect to have higher employee and production efficiencies as a direct result of employee training. When employees complete comprehensive training that prepares them for the job, they’re less likely to make mistakes that affect their efficiency and productivity.
Process and equipment training provides manufacturing employees with the knowledge required to complete processes efficiently in their roles. With a more efficient workforce, organizations in manufacturing can increase their output and better meet the demands of their industry.
Boosts Employee Retention And Job Satisfaction
Organizations lose 25% of all new employees within the first year. Luckily, training can reduce turnover by increasing employee retention and job satisfaction. Employees will be more compelled to stay at an organization that supports their development through training opportunities.
Training programs that start from Day 1 and continue throughout an employee’s lifecycle helps to develop long-term employees that support your organizations’ growth. With a lower turnover rate, organizations will not only save more money, but create a more tenured workforce.
Adopt A Blended Learning Program To Meet Your Manufacturing Training Needs
Manufacturing training is not one-size-fits-all. Instead, this training is best implemented through a combination of multiple learning modalities that effectively meet objectives and reinforce learning. Let’s walk through an example of a blended learning program for safety training.
To begin, learners watch a kickoff video. In this video, various members of upper-level leadership welcome the learner to the training program and explain how this program reinforces the organization’s values.
As a follow-up to the kickoff video, learners individually complete eLearning modules that teach them different safety training terms and practices. Through multiple-choice and true/false questions, learners are tasked with testing their knowledge before the next activity.
To provide a hands-on element of training, learners complete a full VR activity for safe equipment operations. By putting on a headset, learners are transformed to their work environment with all of the real-life sights and sounds. In this experience, the learner actively practices operating and repairing digital recreations of complex machinery.
Accomplish Your Manufacturing Training Goals Today!
We’ve covered the basics of manufacturing training, from common training topics to an example of a blended learning program for manufacturing training.
Are you ready to provide comprehensive training that will benefit your manufacturing workforce? Reach out to an expert on our team to help streamline your processes and create a well-trained workforce through a custom training program.
