Page 36 - MetalForming May 2012

Workforce Development\Oberg Industries
MetalForming/May 2012 www.metalformingmagazine.com
“Outside of the formal apprenticeship program, we provide cross-training,” says Nick Dilick, director of manufactur- ing, “which broadens employees’ hori- zons and skill sets while helping us tack- le workflow challenges. Our people are well-trained and very attractive to us, and attractive to other employers. Fortu- nately, our turnover is very low.”
where they needed help,” says Greg Chambers, Oberg director of corpo- rate compliance. “With competen- cy-based training, we could assess employees’ abilities and more quick- ly make them productive.”
Competency-based apprenticeship training has reduced apprenticeship time by as much as 13 percent com- pared to the traditional 4- or 5-yr. time-based apprenticeship previous- ly offered by Oberg, according to com- pany officials. While many in the industry have suspended or terminated apprenticeship programs due to the recent economic downturn, Oberg has graduated 36 apprentices since 2007.
Instructors in the apprentice pro- gram come from community colleges, community-based organizations and Oberg itself. Since the program’s inception, more than 1000 employees have traveled its path, with graduates filling all levels of the organization.
The company uses assessment tools to qualify applicants for employ- ment, including customized assess- ments developed and administered by licensed psychologists. With Oberg’s intense training regimen, the company can hire new employees with no experience and quickly move them into production positions, pro- vided that the new hires demonstrate
aptitude. By emphasizing cross-train- ing, the company develops a flexible workforce adept at staffing and oper- ating workcells.
“We surveyed employees in 2010 and found that interest in cross-train- ing was extremely high,” says Wagner, “due to our culture that recognizes the benefits of training. Cross-train- ing challenges employees and makes them more valuable, and provides more flexibility to the company.”
Cross-training is a trend that con- tinues to grow, not only at Oberg, as more than 40 percent of U.S. manu- facturing employees participate in cross-training programs, according to Chambers. And besides assisting the company, cross-training provides employees with varied skills that enhance job security.
Training metrics at Oberg include return on investment, productivity, efficiency, direct labor, scrap, rework and training hours (see Tracking Training—ROI by the Numbers side- bar). These metrics can be tracked on an individual or class group basis.
Apprenticeships may proceed similarly to the training provided to a new hire working toward becoming a journeyworker stamping operator: one week of general safety training; two weeks on plant maintenance; two weeks on die maintenance; and two weeks on quality and dimen- sioning. After this general training, apprentices delve into stamping- operator specifics.
“During interviews with potential employ- ees, I boast that I started out from voca- tional school with Oberg Industries and was able to move up. As a high school graduate, I’m able to make a great liv- ing today,” says Scott Adams, stamping division manager and 26-yr. employee.
Assessments Determine a Starting Point
Not a one-size-fits-all operation, Oberg’s apprenticeship program is dictated by the assessed skills of the employee and the requirements of a particular job. Off the bat, within one year new apprentices complete more than 90 online classes, on company time. This helps assess the self-start- ing nature of employees.
“We have found that self-motivat- ed employees who quickly complete the online classes shine on the shop floor,” says Chambers, “whereas those without much enthusiasm or who seem tentative about online training tend to struggle on the shop floor.”
Shop-floor and other training fol- lows, with an apprentice coordinator
A Company Defined by Innovation
Oberg Industries manufactures complex, precision stamped or machined metal- lic components. It pioneered the use of tungsten-carbide components in the man- ufacture of high-speed stamping dies, which revolutionized the tool and die indus- try as it offered approximately 10 times the wear resistance of high-carbon, high- chrome tool steels. The company also benefitted from adopting a number of manu- facturing technologies, including stamping, hydroforming, high-speed milling, turn- ing, and wire and plunge EDM. Oberg also has developed a proprietary advanced grinding technology known as Molecular Decomposition Process.
Technical and manufacturing prowess allows Oberg to service a variety of mar- kets, including aerospace, automotive, consumer/industrial, defense, energy, hous- ing/construction, medical and metal packaging. Oberg’s global manufacturing footprint includes operations in Pennsylvania, Costa Rica and Mexico. Each manu- facturing facility is ISO-certified and operates under one or more of the following standards: ISO 9001:2008, ISO/TS 16949, ISO 13485 and AS9100 Rev. C.