Sometimes we get so caught up in the latest injection molding techniques and technology that we can forget about some of the very basic job functions that most injection molding plants have to deal with daily.
These functions are critical to smooth operations, but the employees charged with performing these jobs are more often than not, unprepared for the job. So they end up “learning on-the-job” (i.e. from their mistakes). Not only is this a very expensive way to train, it can also pose safety issues to the employee and his/her co-workers.
Entry-level jobs at an injection molding plant are usually the highest turnover jobs. It can be very frustrating to invest in entry level worker training, only to have the employee leave after a couple weeks. Now you’re back to square one.
There’s a Better Way.
If there is any job position in an injection molding plant that screams for training automation, it is at the entry-level positions like an injection molding machine operator. These employees are ideal candidates for a proven, systemized, multimedia training program.
The key word here is “systemized”. Having a “training system” in place means it can largely run hands-off. For example, Paulson has an entry level training program titled Injection Molding Fundamentals. When you hire a new entry-level employee, an injection molding machine operator for example, you can immediately give them about 80% of what they need to know to perform a typical molding machine operator’s job.
That sort of training automation can have a big impact on your costs. You will get new employees up to productivity and safety standards faster. You will reduce your turnover (studies in many industries have reinforced that training reduces turnover). And if an employee leaves and you need to replace him or her, your new hire gets put into your “Injection Molding Basic Training System”.
By training employees in standard production floor procedures right from the start, you eliminate problems on your molding floor because everyone has been through identical training.
The video excerpt below is from our Injection Molding Fundamentals training program designed specifically for new employees who do not have prior injection molding experience, or limited molding experience.
As you watch this, keep in mind that you can actually customize the presentation to add training information specific to your plant. So instead of 80% of the injection molding operator training needed, you can approach 95% or more with your own version of the course. That is true with all of our interactive training courses on CD.
