Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work

In this episode, we check in on the evolution of those buzzword technologies driving manufacturing: automation, 5G, big data, AI, cybersecurity, machine learning and cobots. All of these technologies impact technician training. What do they really need to know? Will every technician need a cobot assigned to them? Our guests from the Association for Manufacturing Technology help us compare the hype behind some technologies with the timeline for thorough development and implementation. In other words, they help us understand technology in the service of the problem to be solved, not just technology for technology’s sake.

What are employers looking for in a technician candidate? And how do they find those new hires. One approach, used at BRP, Inc., involves a partnership between several companies and Gateway Technical College. Together they’ve developed a one-year Motorcycle, Marine, and Outdoor Power Product program that feeds the local technician pipeline. As with most employers, what they’re looking for is hands-on experience but also a willingness to learn. Do they bring the immediate skills that they need in order to be successful in a role? Do they bring the ability and knowledge to transform and come on that journey with as the company changes?

The drivers for the changes and investments businesses make have always been centered on reducing costs and increasing productivity. Those things are obviously still very, very important. But what has surfaced is a real focus on the customer. Service companies have realized that customer centricity is critical to their success and field service plays a pivotal role in the customer experience. There are certain industries in which a field technician may be the only real face of the brand that the customer sees. This means that not only has the field technician's world changed in terms of the tools they're using, but even more importantly, in terms what it takes for them to deliver the desired customer experience.

Digital Transformation Specialists challenge companies' technology status quo. It requires the usual technical skills -- analysis, diagnostics, testing, and documentation – plus excellent communication skills. A Digital Transformation Specialist must be able to educate (and persuade) their team members who are engineers, IT staff, and other technicians about the value and use of new technologies. With the rapid pace at which technology is advancing, expect to see this position appearing in many job search sites.

As the Preparing Technicians for the Future of Work project celebrates its first birthday, it’s time to stop and ask, “What have we learned?” and “What have we accomplished?” Here are some highlights of Year 1 from the Project Leadership Team. Stay tuned for Year 2!

Technology allows people who are building and developing things to do it in virtual space, the digital space, and then to use the information from that exact duplicate and build the part. Companies are looking for ways to get a competitive advantage and that’s the promise of the digital twin. You can now simulate the manufacturing of that part, make a change, and see where it works and where it doesn’t before investing in its production. The collaboration between manufacturing engineers has also improved in areas such as end-to-end information flow and teamwork.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence help robots become smarter and more aware of their surroundings, so that they can work on their own. As they become more independent and can make the decisions on their own, productivity should improve. But at the same time that robots are becoming more versatile, they are also becoming more complex. A different technician skill set will be needed. In the past robots were primarily programmed by engineers or technicians, and the programming defined very specifically what the robot could do. Now we have much better software, so as some tasks are assumed by robots, new tasks in robot maintenance and programming will evolve. And hopefully technicians can upskill to meet these new technological challenges.

What if a student would like to earn credit in bite-sized pieces? What if employers valued shorter-time, competency-based credentials? Micro-credentials might be an answer. Intrigued? Podcast guest Timothy Thomas says that learning opportunities need to shift to be more personalized, more practical, more applied, and nimbler. After working with industry to design their initial AAS degree in Unmanned Aerial Systems Technology, he then asked them whether they would find value in shorter-term, competency-based credentials. This gave birth to the micro-credential, a sequence of 9-15 credit hours, often 3 courses, designed to facilitate the attainment of a single competency. The road to micro-credentialing was not easy. There were faculty and departments to convince this was a wise course of action. Thomas graciously shared the language that Mohawk Valley adopted to describe their micro-credentials so you can get a head start!

How can industry inspire students to envision themselves working in advanced manufacturing? And how can colleges attract and recruit students into existing high-tech career pathways programs? One approach, FlexFactor, combines strategic collaboration between organizations and student-led experiential learning to spark interest and spur recruitment. The program reaches students—the workforce of the future--through plant and college tours and problem-solving activities that can be integrated into classroom instruction in any subject. The industry and academic partnerships encourage students to consider potential careers so that they can make informed decisions about career pathways that will lead them to become competitive hires.

A gap may exist between industry practice and what our students learn and practice in our education environment if they don’t learn about Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Today nearly every industry is digitally transforming itself whether they're producing biopharmaceuticals, semiconductor chips, corn chips, or cellphones. The accompanying high levels of automation and sensors monitoring every process and every piece of equipment generates an unbelievable amount of data. This data can help answer the questions, "How efficient are we?" And "Can we be better?"