December 22nd, 2011
On Tuesday the Obama administration approved onshore solar and wind farms in the West and pressed for off shore wind power in the Atlantic Ocean, in an attempt to increase renewable energy on each coast. The Interior department approved 300-megawatt solar farm to be placed on public land in Arizona as well as a 200-megawatt wind farm to be located in Southern California. The farms are the 24th and 25th renewable energy projects to be approved for placement on public land within the past two years. The two farms are expected to produce the amount of clean energy equivalent to that of 18 coal fired power plants. Currently developing Arizona’s Sonoran Solar Energy Project is NextEra Energy Resources from Florida. The solar energy farm aims to produce enough energy to power upwards of 90,000 homes. Iberdrola Renewables, a Spanish based energy company, is heading the Tule Wind Project in California which hopes to produce enough electricity to power approximately 65,000 homes.
Last year, Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar sanctioned the Cape Wind project located in Massachusetts. The project was reviewed federally for several years before being approved and allowing the first offshore wind farm to be built.
Salazar stated on Tuesday they are also moving forward with a massive transmission project that plans to transmit wind energy produced offshore from Virginia to New Jersey. The project would require the construction of high voltage transmission lines along the Atlantic Coast.
Over the years the wind industry has faced some setbacks. Including the failure of Congress to extend a production tax credit and a cash grant program, that has helped advance the industry’s growth in the past. The American Wind Energy Association led a study that found that should Congress not renew the tax credit, almost 37,000 U.S. jobs could potentially be lost.
However, with the two new renewable energy farm projects underway the hope it that they will create U.S. jobs within the industry. And with projects starting fresh, employers have the opportunity to train a well-rounded industrial workforce. ITC Learning offers just that, the materials you need in an easy and accessible format that will enhance the industrial skill sets of your staff as well as ensure the success of your industrial business. With ITC Learning’s online training courseware, content is user friendly and the progress of your trainees can easily be tracked. Contact ITC Learning today to find out how our SCORM based online training courseware can help boost your output.
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December 21st, 2011
Forecasts are generally what get us through each day. We watch the news for the weather forecast and determine whether we need to bring an umbrella to work that day. We watch for stock market forecasts to figure out whether to buy or sell. And now, we can look to the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) U.S. Industrial Outlook quarterly report to know what to expect in the coming years in the manufacturing industry. The report analyzed 27 major industries and offered mostly positive economic forecasts for 24 of the 27 industries. MAPI predicts that in the coming New Year 18 of the 24 industries studied will show gains.
In the third quarter this year, U.S. manufacturing production recovered by increasing 4 percent. Daniel Meckstroth, Ph. D. and Chief Economist says, “The growth is being led by the energy, transportation and industrial equipment industries…Firms are profitable and have the need to spend more for both traditional and high tech business equipment, and reasonably strong growth in emerging economies is still driving U.S. exports.”
While manufacturing industrial production has increased at an annual rate of 4 percent on a quarterly basis it is also expected to increase at about 4 percent as a whole in 2011. In 2012, MAPI predicts industrial production will increase by 3 percent and another 4 percent during the following year. According to MAPI’s analysis, non-high tech manufacturing, which accounts for nearly 90 percent of total production, is expected to grow by 4 percent through the end of this year and then slow a bit to 3 percent in 2012 and 2013. High-tech industrial production, which includes electronic products such as computers and components, is anticipated to increase by almost 8 percent in 2011. High-tech production should grow by another 6 percent in 2012 and 10 percent in 2013.
With such positive outlooks on the coming years, employers will hopefully begin hiring new industrial talent. To ensure new hires are properly placed, managers should implement advanced industrial training courseware. By assessing the industrial skills of your workforce you can determine their strengths and weaknesses and in turn provide the most up to date and effective industrial skills training. Contact ITC Learning today to find out more.
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December 16th, 2011
Besides technical training, industrial safety knowledge is perhaps one of the most important industrial skill sets plant workers should possess. Today, there are more than 600,000 forklifts operating in manufacturing plants that are powered by propane fuel. And with more and more experienced forklift drivers reaching retirement age, factory owners have to prepare to properly train the next generation of industrial workers, so that their industrial skill sets are not only up to date but also follow the appropriate standards.
Replacing an empty propane cylinder on a forklift is not a difficult task, however there are specific standards that should be studied and applied when doing so for the safety of your employees and for the safety of your business. Some of these standards include the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Standard of 1910.178 and the American National Standards Institute/Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation Standard B56.1-2009.
According to the OSHA, there are two classes of propane fueled forklifts. The first, Class IV is an internal combustion engine truck with solid/cushion tires. While the second type, Class V, is also an internal combustion engine truck but has pneumatic tires instead. The plus side is that the propane cylinders in both classes can be replaced by following the same procedures. Industrial workers who are not properly trained to execute such an exchange should not do so. Only appropriately trained personnel should handle the replacement by utilizing the proper safety measures and equipment, such as gloves and safety glasses. The forklift operator’s manual should always be reviewed before handling the propane cylinder as with any industrial equipment.
Operations and maintenance training of forklifts is only one example where further industrial training beyond manuals and basic floor training it critical, especially while plant owners prepare for a younger and less experience workforce to take over. Appropriate industrial training and safety measures should always be taken before operating or maintaining a forklift or any other industrial machinery for that matter. ITC Learning offers quality industrial training and expert knowledge when it comes to manufacturing operations. Ensure your employees are properly trained for all aspects of their daily industrial tasks, and contact ITC Learning today.
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December 13th, 2011
Currently number five in U.S. auto production, Alabama could potentially reach a top three position by the end of the year with an expected annual auto production at nearly 900,000 units. The incredible turnaround comes with a sigh of relief as just two years ago, in the midst of an economic downturn, Alabama’s auto production reached just below 468,000.
According to the Automotive News Data Center, in 2010 Alabama stood at number five reaching almost 698,000 vehicles. Michigan remained in the number one position with 1.6 million, Ohio at number two with 1.1 million, Indianan at three with 890,000 and Kentucky came in fourth with 739,00. Thus far, Alabama has produced upwards of 677,000 cars, and expects to surpass last year’s numbers by the end of the month.
Expansions in plants such as Mercedes-Benz and Honda will help boost the states production capacity. Although no expansion has been announced by Hyundai, the Montgomery based factory has already surpassed its capacity. On its own, Hyundai produced nearly 317,000 vehicles by the end of November, breezing by its previous annual capacity of 300,000 units. And with demand at an all-time high for the Sonata and Elantra among environmentally and cost conscious buyers the production trend is expected to continue.
LMC Automotive estimates North American auto production will reach 12.9 million vehicles by the end of 2011, an almost 9 percent increase from the previous year. However, numbers are still down from the 15-17 million vehicles that were produced during the mid-1990s and mid-2000s.
With Alabama’s production output increasing, recruiting opportunities are sure to open up. In order to support the continued success, plant owners will need to develop a talented workforce. The only way to ensure positive growth among employees in an expanding plant is to provide them with quality training for all aspects of their jobs. This includes process training, maintenance training, control training and all other relevant areas. Industrial skills training is key when it comes to the safety and productivity of your factory employees. Click here to learn more about how industrial skills training can benefit your business.
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December 9th, 2011
A major union dispute between Boeing and its employees has hopefully come to a resolution. The unionized workers of Boeing voted to extend a four year long contract that aims to stabilize labor relations while the company plans production of their planes for the next few years.
The deal developed by Boeing during several secret meetings that took place over the past few weeks will ensure the new 737 will continue to be built in Renton, Washington rather than in a non-union plant in South Carolina. The 737 MAX manufacturer hopes to settle the National Labor Relations Board case filed against them for reacting to a 58 day strike in 2009 by illegally retaliating against the union and starting a non-union plant in South Carolina to manufacture the 787 Dreamliner. With the deal ratified by the Machinists the union plans to put their issues with Boeing behind them.
The 58 day strike that took place back in 2009 was not the first of its kind. Almost 28,000 union workers in Washington, Kansas and Oregon have proven to be aggressive and persistent advocates over the years, going on strike in 1987, 1995, 2005, 2008 and most recently in 2009. The latest strike caused a delay in the delivery of the new 787 and cost Boeing a substantial amount of money, hence their attempt to retaliate against the union.
Once agreed upon, the contract will increase annual wages by nearly 2 percent, offer an incentive program with bonuses and an improved pension program. However, most importantly it guarantees Renton union workers the 737 MAX production will remain in the state of Washington. The agreement also intends to bring labor peace to both sides. Voting for the deal ends Wednesday evening of next week. Approximately 74% of union members support the contract and union officials have openly announced to the press that they believe both parties will agree to the revised contract extension.
With the industrial industry becoming more and more competitive, proper industrial training has become a critical aspect to every manufacturer’s success. ITC Learning offers superior industrial training in all facets of the industry. Click here to learn more.
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December 7th, 2011
On Friday, the Obama administration proposed a plan for the Environmental Protection Agency to ease up on some of the rules which intend to reduce air pollution from industrial boilers and incinerators. Without compromising the health benefits of the proposed regulations, the EPA revised the emissions limits for industrial boilers so that they are more flexible.
The EPA’s top air pollution official, Gina McCarthy, told the press “We have found a way to get better protections, lower emissions and lower costs as well.” With the newest revisions, the EPA’s standards will affect less than 1 percent of U.S. boilers and will cost approximately $1.5 billion less than the original proposal put forth in 2010. Approximately 5,500 of the largest and most polluting boilers in the U.S. will require pollution controls, most of these boilers are located in major refineries and chemical plants. About 195,000 smaller boilers will need routine checkups in order to meet the new standards. The majority of boilers in the U.S., which amounts to almost 1.3 million, are too small and do not release enough pollution to be effected by the rule.
The new rule will most likely require improvements of current pollution controls in chemical plants, refineries and paper mills that may ultimately cost nearly $3 billion. These new standards could potentially put 230,00 jobs at risk however, they may also create a market valued at around $24 billion for companies that offer pollution control services, such as Babcock & Wilcox Co. and the Shaw Group of Baton Rouge, LA.
The standards are intended to benefit the health of Americans and reduce the risk of cancer and asthma, potentially saving as many as 8,100 lives in 2015.
ITC learning offers boiler training in a multimedia format. Our boiler training program focuses on the operation and maintenance of boilers and the safety systems associated with them. Once the Environmental Protection Agency’s new standards are put into effect, proper boiler training will be all the more important in every industrial organization that utilizes boiler equipment. Click here to find out how we can aid your organization in superior boiler training so that you’re well-appointed with properly trained industrial employees before and after the EPA’s new boiler standards are implemented.
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December 1st, 2011
With the beginning of a new month comes the statistics of the past month. And this year, they’re looking positive. Thanks to an increase in new orders and production, U.S. factories saw the greatest increase in business since June 2011. Washington reported that manufacturing has increased for the past 28 consecutive months. The Department of Labor said that the number of unemployment applications increased to approximately 400,000 last week, the greatest increase over the past four weeks. While they also reported productivity of those employed rose at an annual rate of 2.3 percent during the July through September quarter. These statistics suggest that the hiring market may be growing at a slower rate compared to production output. The Commerce Department states that construction spending rose for the third consecutive month, however in spite of the increase spending overall remained low in November.
While the unemployment rate stayed at 9 percent for the second month in a row, payroll provider ADP seems optimistic, stating that companies added nearly 206,000 workers last month. Few economic indicators point toward the economy slowly reaching recovery while U.S. factories are reaping the benefits from increased auto sales and subsequent parts and raw material sales.
Consumer confidence seemed to reach an all-time high over the holiday weekend, giving corporations hope that steady growth is here to stay and ultimately will create more jobs in the coming year.
Hopeful corporations means factories and plants will want to ensure their workforce is trained to meet the highest of standards. ITC Learning strives to help organizations achieve the productive and efficient output goals they aim to reach. ITC Learning’s impeccable industrial training skills ensure that your workforce is properly and effectively trained for their job on the factory floor. From process training to maintenance training we aim to provide easy to use and innovative training courseware. At ITC Learning we offer full motion video courseware. With video gradually becoming a more engaging form of communication compared to simple text and images, we are able to provide a learning experience for adult learners like no other training program. By utilizing video courseware, instruction is put into action. As a result, your trainees are able to see how processes and procedures are carried out in real time. Click here to browse ITC’s video courseware catalogue and our expansive library of online training courseware.
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November 30th, 2011
Last week General Motors announced they will start manufacturing the Chevrolet Equinox at its plant in Tennessee. They also plan to start producing additional midsized cars there in the near future. The $244 million investment is expected to create almost 1,900 jobs at the former Saturn plant located just outside of Nashville. To get the ball rolling, General Motors will initially invest $61 million and plans to generate nearly 700 jobs to begin producing the Equinox by July of 2012. The remaining $183 million will be invested to manufacture 2015 models of unnamed midsized vehicles and create another 1,200 jobs. GM officials would not say more in an attempt to keep their competition on their toes. The upcoming move will allow General Motors to react to the growing demand for a greater variety of models.
In Idaho things are less definite but hopes are just as high. Zonda USA, a Chinese manufacturer of electric buses plans to move its U.S. office to Boise, Idaho in the next year and eventually start producing its electric buses in the southwestern Idaho region. Although the Chinese corporation has refrained from announcing when and where a manufacturing plant would be built or just how many jobs the plant opening could create, local Idaho government officials are optimistic of the move but are also realistic in that nothing is definite yet and the process may take some time. At its Chinese plant, Zonda USA, a branch of Zhongda Industrial Group in the United States, can produce nearly 15,000 buses in a year with a workforce of about 6,900 employees. Zhonga decided on Idaho due to the fact that the region is located relatively close to Pacific Ocean shipping ports and conveys a business-friendly outlook. Elected Idaho officials realize the project is only in the beginning stages of becoming a full-fledged move to their region but that has not stopped them from growing eager about the possibility. Nampa, Idaho Mayor, Tom Dale, said, “They’re a prominent company in China, and the technology with these electric buses seems to be leading edge.” Only time will tell what will become of this project, but the hope is that it will boost the local economy and create thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs.
With the possibility of new manufacturing plants opening in the near future, plant managers need to be sure employees are trained and educated to their full potential. ITC learning is dedicated to providing full motion courseware, CD-ROM courses and online courseware that focus on essential industrial
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November 22nd, 2011
With the economy seemingly inching towards recovery, manufacturing managers seem to be more confident in posting more job positions. However, as we discussed previously, filling these positions with skilled workers has proven to be a difficult task. Many prospective hires are in fact hard working individuals eager to work. But often they lacked the essential skills necessary to work effectively and efficiently in a plant. So, how can manufacturers ensure their new hires are properly trained and suited for the position?
More than often new hires have had some form of manufacturing experience, but their skills may not be specific to the job you hired them for. Industrial training is a sure way to know your employees are trained for the job they do every day. By implementing the industrial skills training necessary for your employees to perform their jobs well, you’ll discover you can mold the perfect employee. Instead of waiting around for someone else to produce the knowledgeable employee you’re searching for take the opportunity to create the worker your company needs. In 2009 it was reported that employers spent approximately $126 billion on employee training and development. Numbers like this prove that developing the skills of industrial employees is something worth investing in.
Through the use of online industrial training, like ITC Learning’s, you present your plant with the opportunity to tailor online courseware and develop homegrown talent and avoid having to wait around for the right employee to find you. Industrial skills training programs that utilize SCORM based software and full motion video courseware provide trainees with the critical knowledge and functions of their jobs that they would likely have not learned through conventional training on the plant floor. When new hires are trained solely on the floor, trainers often skip steps because they’ve run through the process so often they simply forget to relay every detail. However, in online manufacturing training trainees are taught processes and methods step by step so that nothing is left out. Online industrial training also allows employees to understand how the machines they work with operate and why processes are done a certain way so they can properly troubleshoot any situation that may arise without having to ask someone else for assistance.
Ultimately, industrial training is an effective way to properly train your workers for the job they were hired to do. With ITC Learning’s online courseware you can track the progress of your employees and tailor each course to suit your plant’s specific needs. Contact us today to learn more.
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November 17th, 2011
When it comes to training industrial employees, creating a program that is tailored to your organizations specific needs is key. If your training initiatives are not planned with your employees in mind, there’s a good chance you will not achieve your desired outcome. As a manager your priority is to make sure the implemented training program is effective and maximizes your return on investment. Here are a few tips to ensure your goals are met:
Training should be relevant to your organizational needs
The training program that you put in place must relate to the day to day tasks of your employees and should make a distinct connection with the workplace or even your employee’s specific workstation. If this connection is not made, training becomes unrelated and employees are likely to get bored and pay little attention.
Incorporate hands on training
Online courseware, like ITC Leaning’s, is a great way to allow industrial employees to expand their knowledge on their own time and in a comfortable setting. But while reading and doing practice assignments can be helpful, nothing is more beneficial than hands on training. Integrate real life situations into your training program to ensure employee will know what to do when they are no longer reading words but are actually working with industrial equipment. Describing how a process should be done is very different than actually being able to perform the task in a real life scenario, once training is completed.
Spell it out
Your trainees should know exactly what is expected from their training. Explain to your learners how their newly acquired industrial skills will apply to their day to day work. Let them know the basic knowledge they’ll need to have in order to perform well in the training courses and what they are expected to learn from the program as a whole.
Track progress
The only way to know if your industrial training was effective is to follow up. Assess skill sets before and after training to determine if your program was successful. Let your learners know that they will be evaluated on their applied skills once training is over, this may help engage them from the start.
Industrial training is a pertinent aspect of operating an efficient and proficient industrial organization. If not done properly, a lot of time and resources can be wasted. Make sure your goals are well defined and your selected courseware is accurate and up to date. ITC Learning strives to provide superior online courseware for your employees in an effort to improve industrial skills and help your business succeed.
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