Polymer Training Resources IMM Article September 1995

hat do Ford, General Motors, and Eastman Kodak have in common? They all run sophisticated molding operations that require an equally sophisticated work force that is trained using their own employees and Polymer Training Resources customized training programs for plastics manufacturing operations. IMM asked Chuck Lathan, a 23-year veteran and tool engineer for Eastman Kodak (Rochester, NY), what makes the "peer-based" method such a popular choice. "When it comes to conveying information and skills for molding, we've found that using graduates from the shop floor to teach fellow employees gives the training program greater accuracy," he says.

Polymer Training Resources (Des Moines, IA) provides Kodak with several modules that include textbook information, exercises, and self- testing. But rather than simply reading, students are placed in a classroom setting with one of their peers as an instructor.

Lathan notes, "Once an employee fully understands the information, then teaches it to others, the concepts are cemented in his or her mind. In addition, students can interact with the instructors dynamically, rather than learning in a void."

Beth York, recently appointed president of Polymer Training Resources, estimates the market for plastics industry training at over $50 million annually, with growth in North America expected to be 30 percent yearly. "Molders of all sizes increasingly regard workforce training as a necessary component of modern manufacturing," she says. Smaller custom molding shops, such as Kuss Corp. (Findlay, OH), Minnesota Rubber (Minneapolis), and Reo Plastics (Minneapolis) have also chosen to provide this type of training. "It used to be that smaller manufacturers would pit the desire to train their people against the time and attention required to run the business. Training and production were treated separately," says York. "But a comprehensive ongoing training program such as this solves the paradox for small and midsized processors."

Benchmarking at Kodak helped Lathan discover the benefits of training. "We conducted pre- and post-training tests to determine how our level of expertise was affected by the training. It was an eye-opener. We were unaware some of our employees lacked necessary skills prior to training.

Polymer Training Resources answer to the training dilemma: let natural leaders, experienced individuals who often guide others on the shop floor anyway, give instruction to less experienced workers. And provide those leaders with techniques and methods to help them become effective teachers. "Instructor training helped our in-house teachers convey information better and improved their public speaking skills," says Lathan.