In the rapidly evolving manufacturing world, the skills gap remains a persistent challenge. But what if the solution lies not just in recruiting new talent, but in continuously upskilling the existing workforce? Bill Berrien, owner and CEO of Pindel Global Precision, believes that a new approach to technical training – one that borrows from the sharing economy playbook – could be the key to unlocking the full potential of manufacturing employees.

On a recent episode of the Manufacturing Executive Podcast, Berrien shared his experience training his team to operate high-tech equipment and automation, resulting in business growth, increased wages, and greater employee fulfilment. But he also challenged a pervasive misconception about learning and career development.

“One of the mistaken beliefs, the fallacies that we came across in this effort, was this mistaken belief that we as a U.S. American society seem to have – that what one learns in the first 25 years of life is going to last them for the next 50,” Berrien said. “Those initial skills gained in the first 25 years of life are not going to last because technologies change, industry needs change, and frankly, just personal interests change.”

To address this need for continuous learning, especially among small and medium-sized manufacturers, Berrien launched the forward-skilling initiative. Inspired by the success of Airbnb and Uber in disaggregating and scaling access to underutilized resources, forward-skilling aims to do the same for technical training.

What we’re talking about with forward-skilling is, in the coordination role, how do we come to understand industry needs for skill? Maybe you rent the curriculum from a technical college. You have it taught by an engineer or a very skilled machinist from company A, and you have the course taught in a spare conference room or production facility of company B, maybe using training tools that are owned by company C.

Pindel Global Precision has already run a successful pilot of the forward-skilling model, customizing a CNC Swiss production machinist curriculum with Milwaukee Area Technical College and iterating based on lessons learned about class timing and frequency. The next phase involves inviting other companies to send their machinists, further testing the shared resource approach.

Looking ahead, Berrien envisions forward-skilling expanding across Wisconsin, with virtual organizational offices coordinating and curating training resources tailored to each region’s needs. He also sees potential for the model to extend beyond manufacturing to other industries being transformed by AI and automation.

For manufacturers in other parts of the country, Berrien offers this advice: “When you have what you identify as a job opening, a skill need, have your default look be at the team you already employ.” He encourages leaders to adopt the adage, “We hire for attitude, train for skill,” recognizing that with the right mindset, employees’ learning potential is boundless.

Berrien also recommends leveraging vendor-provided training from equipment OEMs and software providers, as well as collaborating with peer manufacturers to contract instructors and offer joint training.

Ultimately, the forward-skilling movement is about more than just technical training – it’s about ensuring that the workforce can continue to thrive and adapt in the face of relentless change.

“No one wants to be limited in life,” Berrien emphasized. “If we can figure out this upskilling piece and we make it accessible, we make it dynamic, regardless of what happened in your first 25 years of life, that’s not your destiny. You’re always in the fight.”

With visionary leaders like Bill Berrien paving the way, the future of manufacturing education looks brighter than ever – and the benefits will extend far beyond the factory floor.

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