December, 2007
by Robert Avila, ATS Technical Training Manager
All Is Not Lost

For young people looking for a challenge in a fast-paced environment where cutting-edge technology is the norm, a career as a multiskilled technician may just be the answer. With the proper skills and training, young people can start along a career path that enables them to better themselves and provide a great living for their families.

The shortage of skilled workers—workers capable of maintaining today's complex and sophisticated production equipment—has become a nationwide crisis. With 40 percent of the skilled labor force planning to retire and a lack of young professionals available to replace them, the demand for multiskilled technicians will cost manufacturers an estimated $50 million during the next five years (according to an Advanced Technology Services national survey of senior manufacturing executives). Added to that, manufacturing continues to suffer from an outdated negative image as low-paying, dirty work performed in a nasty environment. This is far from the truth.

Commanding Respect
Executing today's competitive manufacturing strategies requires maintaining highly sophisticated, and increasingly complex, production equipment. Multiskilled maintenance technicians command a great deal of respect for the knowledge and troubleshooting skills they apply to maintain this equipment. In fact, today's manufacturing technician requires skills beyond just technical ability. Today's skilled worker must solve complex problems using sophisticated professional strategies such as root cause analysis, predictive technologies, and team building—to name a few.

To be truly efficient and effective, maintenance troubleshooters must possess a combination of electrical and mechanical expertise. A technician working in today's manufacturing environment must look at complex and sophisticated pieces of equipment and comprehend how all the machine components interact to properly diagnose a problem and implement a solution. Additionally, technicians must employ complex problem-solving skills to determine the specific actions required to prevent problems from recurring.

As the demand for skilled workers soars, wages for today's maintenance technicians are also climbing. At the same time, employers are finding the search for skilled workers more challenging than ever. As a result, the opportunity to build a rewarding career in manufacturing is extremely high for people entering this field.

Many manufacturing companies share a common mission: make factories run better. Such companies seek innovative ways to recruit, supplement, and retain workforces for the future. Many companies integrate certification programs as a critical component of workforce hiring, education, and retention strategies. Certification in the manufacturing field provides a solid foundation for a technical career path in a highly professional and automated industry. In less than a year, a certified professional can be on the way to a high-paying, exciting career as a multiskilled technician who maintains production equipment for some of the world’s most renowned corporations.

Certification Programs
Certification programs offer valuable classroom and hands-on lab training. Such training exposes students to solid maintenance fundamentals in mechanical, electrical, and fluid power—as well as the leadership, professional, and troubleshooting skills necessary to get their careers off to a fast start.

To prepare for these programs, high school students must acquire excellent math and science skills. Students entering the programs will have to show proficiency in these areas and pass the placement testing required for the programs.

Students who successfully complete these certification programs often earn college credit that may be applied toward two-year associate's degree programs in technology-related fields. Most important, those who successfully complete these programs—and possess the requisite professionalism and motivational drive—become attractive employment candidates in the manufacturing field. For today's young professional, the opportunities for a career path in the "new" manufacturing environment are abundant.

— Robert Avila, technical training manager, Advanced Technology Services, can be reached at (309) 693-4000 or via e-mail at bavila@advancedtech.com.