Cover Feature
by Pan Demetrakakes , Editor
General Mills often
uses broadcasts from
community colleges,
supplier headquarters,
or other locations as a
worker training tool.
18 F o o d &B e v e r a g e pa c k a g i n g
Training can
narrow workers
skill gaps
As packaging machinery becomes more complicated, careful training
can make sure floor operators know what they need to know.
Y
ou can have the best packaging machinery things like basic troubleshooting, adjust machines for
in the world, but if you cant get people to changeover, maybe even do some basic sanitation.
run it right, youre in trouble. Traditionally operators were not allowed to handle
Worrying about being able to find tools or change settingsbut in todays lean manufac-
employees may seem incongruous these turing environment, plants need them to participate
days, with unemployment hovering stub- more fully in the effective operation of the line. In
bornly around 9.5%. But the increasing order to perform these tasks, operators need to have
complexity of packaging machinery means that even a better understanding of the equipment basics, they
when a lot of people are looking for jobs, it may be need to have troubleshooting skills and they need to
harder than you think to find the right ones. understand more sophisticated safety procedures.
Its so complicated. The biggest problem is, the The increased versatility that electronics bring to ma-
skill gap has grown by leaps and bounds, says Nancy chinery translates to increased responsibility for line work-
Cobb, a trainer facilitator for PMMI. ers, says Joyce Hodel, a spokesperson for Kraft Foods.
The trend is by no means confined to packaging.
According to a 2009 report from the National As-
sociation of Manufacturers, 32% of manufacturing
firms surveyed reported moderate to severe short-
ages of qualified personnel, and 38% foresaw in-
creased shortages in the near future.
As with all industrial equipment, packaging ma-
chinery has evolved, resulting in significant changes
to operator responsibilities. Increased electronics
mean increased automation, which means fewer peo-
ple on a line. It also means those fewer people often
have more demanding tasks.
Operators in many plants are being asked to do
more than just operate machines, notes Maria Fer-
rate, vice president for education and workforce de-
velopment at PMMI. They are being asked to do
Photo courtesy General Mills
september 2010 w w w . f o o da n d b e v e r a g e pa c k a g i n g . c o m
 As with virtually everything today, hourly employ-
ees are managing through the pace of change more Companies reporting moderate
quickly than in the past, Hodel says. Most of our to severe skills shortages
plants have numerous projects underway that impact among employees
production occurring simultaneously. So employees
are not only personally adjusting to change but in
many cases, they are actively involved in making the
changes or even helping to lead them.
All companies 32%
The servo surge
Electronics have made a huge difference in the opera-
tion and capabilities of packaging machinery. The me-
chanical linkages that once governed a machines axes Most profitable companies 38%
of motion gave away years ago to servo motors, rend-
ing them much more versatile and easier to watch and
maintain. At least, in theory.
One of the paradoxes of modern packaging ma-
chinery is that the more such control the operator
Least profitable
companies
25%
has, the less he or she feels in control. At bottom, this
is largely a function of being uncomfortable with the
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40%
electronic operator interface.
One of the hardest things for operators is to let go Source: National Association of Manufacturers
of that sense of control, Cobb says. Because now, its
all about looking at the touchscreen panel.
Companies
0 5
relate
10 15 20
how
25 30
well
35
- 40%
Machine operators have always had a tendency to
try to fine-tune their machines by fiddling with the prepared they find applicants
settings. This habit can be especially problematic with a high school or GED
with electronically controlled equipment.
A lot of the equipment manufacturers really just
Poorly prepared
dont want them to touch anything, Cobb says. Be-
fore, if I had one piece of equipment and I made a set-
ting change, it might affect my machine.. Now, if you
change anything on a computer control system, youre More than 500 employees 61%
going to have effects upstream and downstream.
Those effects can be hard for machine operators to 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80%
comprehend. Above all, say training experts, todays
machine operators need to understand the overall Less than 500 employees 60%
system and their place in it.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80%
Perspective
The one thing that we find oftentimes is that the opera-
tor doesnt grasp the larger system, says Gary Orr, an in- Adequately prepared
dustrial training consultant. They know their role, their
piece of equipment. But if the operator understands whats
going on upstream and downstream, so they have more of More than
500 employees
39%
a systems perspective of what this piece of equipment is
and where it ties into the overall process, it allows them to
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80%
make a lot better decisions then.
Thats the way it works at General Mills, according
to Kathy Carlson, training and development director.
Less than
500 employees
40%
Instead of running a particular unit operation or
a particular piece of the line, they now have account- 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80%
ability for the entire system, Carlson says. Instead
of just being at the bagger, for example, they may own Source: National Association of Manufacturers

w w w . f o o da n d b e v e r a g e pa c k a g i n g . c o m september 2010 F o o d & B e v e r a g e pa c k a g i n g 19


}
One of the hardest things for operators is to let go
of that sense of control. Because now, its
all about looking at the touchscreen panel.
it from the bagger to the palletizer.
The overall goal, Carlson says, is to get machine opera-
tors thinking of their jobs in terms of solving and prevent-
ing problems, not just keeping their machines running.
Our focus is completely on trying to increase up-
time, she says. Its not about fixing a jam right away.
Its about understanding what happened there so that
it doesnt happen again. It takes a little more time, and
thats kind of the paradigm shift we have going on right
now. Its figuring out, instead of the quick fix, which is
how we used to train, now its more problem-solving. To
do that, weve had to lay a much deeper foundation in
technical skills along with problem-solving processes.
Comfort level
To get that foundation in technical skills requires getting
operators comfortable with computers. Even as pervasive
as computers are today, that can sometimes be a stretch.
Increased automation and increased connection
with computers has just made it more challenging for
operators, Carlson says. For those who have been
around for a while and arent used to working that
way, they had to learn a new skill.
Training at General Mills is fairly standardized for
new operators. The company uses standard tech-
niques like JTA (Job Task Analysis) and DACUM (De-
velop a Curriculum) to set up the basic framework of
equipment training.
Essentially, those outline exactly what the oper-
ator needs to know about how to run that piece of
equipment, Carlson says.
At General Mills, training takes several forms.
There is a classroom component and possibly a dis-
tance-learning portion, which typically is a webcast
broadcast to up to five area plants from local commu-
}
Instead of running a particular unit
operation or a particular piece of the
line, they now have accountability
for the entire system.
Kathy Carlson, General Mills
20 F o o d &B e v e r a g e pa c k a g i n g september 2010 w w w . f o o da n d b e v e r a g e pa c k a g i n g . c o m
}
Nancy Cobb, PMMI
nity colleges or an equipment supplier. Then there is
a hands-on component, where operators must dem-
onstrate their proficiency with the equipment. This
can be done either on a simulator or trainer, if one is
available, or on the actual machine.
We typically wouldnt use a [running] system to
show fault analysis, but we would definitely have the
operator come along with us and start it up, Carl-
son says. If theres a problem with the system, [we
would] show them how to shut it down properly and
get it back up properly, how to read the computer
electronics behind it and the data output.
Suppliers role
Suppliers are an important resource for General Mills, as
they are for most end users with training issues. Many
suppliers have training programs that include various
forms of outreach, either in person or remotely.
Manufacturers try to lay a foundation for training by
making their machines as intuitive as possible. A pic-
ture is a lot easier than reading out of a manual, says
Peter Zepf, director of service and human resources for
Wexxar, a division of Pro Mach that makes case-form-
ing and sealing equipment. Carrying this principle over
to touchscreens, Pro Mach companies design their hu-
man-machine interfaces (HMIs) to lay out information
clearly: Remove the thinking from the operator and
[have] the machine alert them what the problem is.
Wexxar puts together a training outline and tests
for operators and maintenance technicians on each
piece of equipment.
Well go into a plant and well do a classroom,
whether it be in a boardroom or at the machine it-
self, Zepf says. A test follows to reinforce the lessons:
The whole idea of the test...is not to pass or fail. Its
}
to see what you retained and havent retained, and
lets go over the items that you havent retained.
Like many suppliers, Wexxar and other Pro Mach
companies use trainers qualified through the PMMI
Certified Trainer program. (See PMMI program cer-
tifies machinery trainers below.)
The big picture
However its done, the point of training is to make work-
ers comfortable with their tasks and aware of the larger
significance of their job to the operation as a whole.
An operator in many cases doesnt always know whats
happening because they dont understand the equipment
and in some cases, theyre fearful of it, Cobb says.
Once they understand the equipment better, they
are more likely to understand the importance of
teamwork and communication.
Whatever they do has so much impact upstream
and downstream that you have to have some commu-
PMMI program certifies machinery trainers
W orking through PMMIs Certified Trainer pro-
gram is one of the best established ways to get
help with training a workforce to handle the demands
of todays packaging machinery.
Certified Trainer is a train-the-trainer program that
provides a steady supply of personnel qualified to
help workers understand their equipment. Machinery
supplier companies and end users are the two biggest
participants in the program. Certified trainers work in
a variety of venues, including PMMI webinars, work-
shops organized by community/technical colleges,
and training session at end user sites.
Trainers attend two-day workshops, which PMMI
holds across the U.S. and Canada. PMMI also can
conduct them on-site for companies with eight or
more students. To complete the course, trainers must
Photo courtesy of PMMI
w w w . f o o da n d b e v e r a g e pa c k a g i n g . c o m
nication going on, Cobb says. Not that you didnt
have that before, but now theres fewer people around,
and theyre doing more different kinds of things.
That added responsibility may be daunting at first.
But if its presented to workers as a challenge, and
backed up with the kind of training and resources
that makes it possible to meet the challenge, workers
will enthusiastically take on the task.
As an ongoing supplement to training, General
Mills has regular audits where operators are grilled
on their ideas on how to help the plant meet or ex-
ceed standards, Carlson says.
During those audits I have seen operators teary-
eyed, saying things like, I used to drag myself to work
every day, and now Im an operator, she says. This
instills great pride in them, and the other thing thats
happening is the work is actually becoming easier.
The systems are more reliable. They have more of it
to cover, but they can. F&BP
complete post-workshop assignments that include an
e-Learning course on safety and training, and creating
a set of training documents they can use as part of
their own training program.
The certification is good for two years, during
which trainers are expected to participate in one
continuing education class per year. Trainers also
need to submit an annual $80 recertification fee and
have someone they train complete a feedback form
and submit to PMMI.
Many supplier companies use the Certified Trainer
program for their service and maintenance personnel.
Tim Kent, marketing director for Raque Food Systems
and himself a PMMI-certified trainer, says the training
program both paralleled and went beyond what Raque
had developed on its own.
The PMMI system went much further in that they
emphasized preparing for training, Kent says. We
typically just hit the floor runningwere oriented toward
having the customer producing product as quickly as
possible. Whereas the PMMI system is: thats good, but
you can do better if you talk to your customer first. Is-
sues to talk about include finding out how many people
need training, what materials they have to do the train-
ing with, and scheduling time for machine availability.
Training in front of a classroom is great, but it does not PMMI trainer
beat training in front of the machine, Kent says. facilitator Sheree
For more on the PMMI Certified Trainer Program, Evans-Metcalf gives
a presentation
access www.pmmi.org/certified.
to future PMMI
trainers.
september 2010 F o o d & B e v e r a g e pa c k a g i n g 21