ifelong learning is a concept that should go hand-in-glove with green-jobs training, and lifelong learning should be em- braced by all individuals in the Northern Indiana workforce, in- cluding folks who are employed, said a Purdue University manu- facturing expert.

"Any worker — incumbent or displaced — should be interested in building more value for his or her employer (or prospective employer); thereby, constantly looking at acquisition of new skills and knowledge that will be of value to that employer, or, if in transition, their new employer," Dave Snow, director of Purdue's Manufacturing Extension Part- nership Center, said Sept. 21, 2011, in an email interview with WorkOne eNews.

'ADOPTING A MINDSET OF LIFELONG LEARNING 
WILL HELP ALL OF US BE MORE EMPLOYABLE'
"We must always remember," he added, "that even though we are employed, job competition exists and we are, while employed, competing to stay employed." Lifelong learning is an underlying principle embedded in the national Manufacturing Skills Certification System (MSCS), developed by the Manufacturing Institute and undergoing implementation in Indiana and more than 25 other states. "Adopting a mindset of lifelong learning will help all of us be more employed or employable," Snow said.

Purdue's Technical Assistance Program (TAP) has designed and implemented a national credential that develops an individual worker's skills to become a "Green Specialist." Endorsed by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the credential is based on 40 hours of training that focuses on process improvements for cleaner manufacturing and business practices that reduce waste of energy, water, material and labor.

Referring to the green specialist training, "some would call this the next level of 'Lean,'" Snow explained. The credential offers an individual not only respect and recognition, but also a comprehensive "skills asset" that can be applied to various manufacturing operations of different companies. Yet even after completing a Green Specialist credential, an individual Hoosier should not step off his or her path to lifelong learning, and Snow provided a compelling example as to why continuous learning is essential in today's Information-Age economy.

In a survey of Indiana manufacturers in early 2011, TAP found that companies seek "new employees who meet the minimum skills including technical skills, people (or social) skills, good ethics and safety habits." These findings regarding employer attitudes, he noted, "tell us there are primary needs that are required in addition to the 'green' skills."

Ideally, a person's training should encompass a broader set of business needs to attract new employment or sustain folks currently working. In the survey, employers identified the following abilities of individual workers as important:

  ROOT CAUSE —  Finding a true root cause of problems;
  BOOSTING QUALITY —  Improving quality without increasing costs;
  QUALITY PROCEDURES —  Ensuring employees follow existing quality procedures; and
  ZERO DEFECTS —  Changing the employee culture to focus on zero defects.

Lifelong learning, indeed, can work successfully as a skills-building and employment strategy. For instance, Snow described a displaced auto worker who determined in 2009, during very low points of the economic downturn, to become a maintenance technician for utility-scale wind turbines. "An ambitious undertaking," Snow remarked, "but one that will have high pay-back in wages, benefits and career enrichment. The displaced auto worker has received training and certification through Ivy Tech and will graduate this fall. He aspires to work at one of the numer- ous wind farms that are developing throughout the United States."

HOW WILL YOUR EMPLOYER'S NEW  
PRODUCTS IMPACT YOUR JOB DUTIES?
For people in other circumstances, Snow recommended researching their employer's business to gain a feel for the types of new products and services to be produced down the road and how manufacturing changes might impact their specific job duties — and what skills will be needed to thrive in those new duties.

"This information can be acquired by interviewing their management, looking at sales and annual reports, and attending company meetings where future direction is being discussed. If they wish to be upwardly mobile," Snow commented, "they should target those higher level jobs and develop their [personal] training or skills plan based upon their desired future job."

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