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Editor's Note: Leaps in automation produce efficiency, but the human touch is still essential

By Joyce Fassl
Joyce Fassl
April 5, 2012
As I was preparing remarks for this month’s Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference, I came across an Association for Manufacturing Excellence research study on the challenges facing manufacturing. One of the study’s key findings is that America’s education system has not adapted to changed priorities around the world, causing the US to lose jobs to nations with more tech-savvy workers such as China and India. The missing educational links here at home are lack of emphasis on math, physics, engineering and technical knowledge, the study states.

According to the National Association of Manufacturing Institute 2011 Skills Gap study, more than 80 percent of manufacturers have a moderate to serious shortage of skilled production workers, and 5 percent of all manufacturing jobs (600,000 jobs) are open because there is no qualified talent.

For nearly 20 years, Food Engineering has covered the dire need for skilled workers in its annual State of Food Manufacturing articles. Skills training of both line operators and line supervisors has been considered by FE readers as a great need to improve plant productivity for as long as I can remember. Today, the need extends to skilled training for maintenance workers.

The good news is more training options and community college-level curricula are available compared to a decade ago. For example, PMMI now offers basic training courses such as Introduction to PLCs, Introduction to Industrial Electricity, a certificate program in mechatronics and others.

While advanced automation often reduces the number of plant floor jobs, skilled workers remain essential. This month’s cover story is about one plant that is pushing the boundaries of automation with a nearly lights-out facility. (See page 67.) The plant’s success, however, still depends on a few highly skilled workers to maintain its uncompromising quality as a McDonald’s supplier.

Leaps in automation truly produce great levels of manufacturing efficiency, but the human touch provided by skilled workers can never be underestimated. For manufacturing excellence to be achieved, it’s a priceless commodity. 

 

KEYWORDS: education and training

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Joyce Fassl has spent most of her career in magazine management. As the former editor-in-chief of Food Engineering, Fassl has directed the magazine’s editorial staff since 1986, except for a two-year stretch where she oversaw content direction for the debut of Packexpo.com. Her expertise is creating dynamic print and online content, building top-notch editorial teams and managing innovative custom publishing projects and live events. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State University. In addition to supervising all Food Engineering content, Joyce is Program Director for the Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference.

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