Closing the Skills Gap: M.O.S.T.
Precision Skills Training for Hard to Serve Populations
What Makes M.O.S.T.® So Different: The Non-traditional Worker
“Unlike most training programs which tend to require a great deal of class time in community colleges or vocational schools, the M.O.S.T.® program focuses on ‘non-traditional workers’ that, in most cases, have little or no background in manufacturing, let alone machining. These workers are put through a highly focused Fast Track training program that covers a wide variety of basic shop skills, including: shop math, measuring instruments, quality control, and how to read shop orders; in other words, the fundamentals.”
-- from "Solving our critical shortage of machinists."
Machining, Dec.-Jan. 2005
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The Time Wise Mobile Outreach Skills Training® (M.O.S.T.) Program is an accelerated program launched as a U.S. Department of Labor High Growth Initiative to train and place entry level manufacturing workers in just two weeks.
M.O.S.T.® was launched initially to address the shortage of computer numeric controlled (CNC) machine operators in the advanced manufacturing sector. With the increasing reliance in advanced manufacturing on computer-controlled automation, manufacturers have a steady demand for – and indeed in many areas are experiencing a shortage of – CNC operators. Due to the limited number of people entering training programs, occupational projections indicate that employers in many areas of the country will continue to have difficulty finding workers with the necessary skills and knowledge.
In response to the nationwide shortage of qualified CNC operators, Time Wise developed M.O.S.T.®, a model pilot program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor. The program provides fast-track training model that identifies a job for each trainee prior to start, and total training time of only 10 weeks with placement in a paying job within 2 weeks. This compares with the one year or longer that it generally took in the past to develop a machine operator. The intense training program is specifically oriented to the hard-to-serve populations and non-traditional workers with no prior machine operator experience.
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The training program is built around an intensive assessment and two-phase training curriculum.
Customized In-Depth Assessment Phase consists of an intensely-focused practical skills, theory and hands-on curriculum. It uses a process of immersion and takes 80 hours (two consecutive weeks) of concentrated evaluation and sector orientation. The curriculum is computer-based with both simulated and hands-on modules. Each module contains a series of tests to measure each student’s comprehension of the curriculum. This Phase is conducted in a state-of-the-art Mobile Training Unit (MTU).
Phase 1 Customized Training consists of an eight-week on-the-job training (OJT) program. This curriculum complements the phase 1 process and allows the new operator-trainee to actually apply on the shop floor the skills acquired in the MTU. The OJT process is mentor-based, structured and has a pre-planned series of objectives with appropriate points of measure to ensure that the trainee is attaining the desired skill levels. This OJT process can be customized to suit the individual company’s unique requirements, equipment, products and structure.
Phase II Retention Mentoring is a four-week OJT training to ensure the success of the new hire in the workplace. This additional mentoring process is less intensive and custom designed to meet the specific needs of the employer and trainee to fill any identified social or skill gaps to facilitate retention. During this time the new employee’s supervisor will also receive mentoring.
In New England, where the M.O.S.T.® program originated, one-stop career centers play a critical role in identifying and supplying trainees for the program.
M.O.S.T.® Program advantages
The M.O.S.T.® program has achieved an impressive record of success, a training completion rate of 80 percent, and more than 70 percent of those trainees have obtained jobs in the field.
M.O.S.T.® has several advantages over traditional CNC training programs:
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First, employers who participate in the program must agree in advance to provide OTJ training to those who successfully complete phase 1 of the training program. This enhances trainee motivation, since participants know that they have guaranteed OJT training and, upon graduation from the program, a solid job prospect. Also, in many cases, these new hires receive health benefits for the first time. |
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Second, the training program can be customized to suit the needs of participating employers. This ability to customize the training to meet specific employer needs shortens the length of time before a trainee can become a productive employee and increases the attractiveness of the training program for small manufacturers. |
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Third, the assessment is delivered in a state-of-the-art mobile training unit. The mobile training unit can be located at the employer’s facility or at a location that is convenient for trainees. This flexibility in training delivery is particularly important in attracting low-income trainees who may lack transportation to a community college or other educational institution. It also facilitates training in rural regions, where community college campuses and other training facilities may not be located near participating manufacturers and may not have the necessary training equipment. |
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By partnering with Time Wise, workforce investment systems can help address a significant manufacturing labor shortage, while providing new employment opportunities for non-traditional workers without any prior manufacturing experience. Click here for more M.O.S.T.® Program information.
M.O.S.T.® Program success stories.
Precision Training for Hispanic Workers (M.O.S.T.®)
Support for M.O.S.T.®
“The M.O.S.T.® program’s integration of specialized skill training, computer training and language training will give Hispanic workers with no previous manufacturing experience an opportunity for employment in an industrial sector that has a critical shortage of CNC operators, programmers and machinists.”
“As an educational organization, we are excited at the concept of M.O.S.T.® and believe it offers unique educational advantages.”
-- Al Zapanta, chair U.S./Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation
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Hispanic workers with limited English proficiency (LEP) face a language barrier that often hinders their entry into manufacturing sectors. To overcome this obstacle and allow precision manufacturers to recruit workers from this labor pool, Time Wise can deliver a M.O.S.T.® program that is designed to meet the needs of Hispanic workers. The program can be customized in collaboration with workforce investment boards to meet the needs of local workforce populations. It can include supplementary modules such as a work readiness certificate program and English as a Second Language (ESL) training.
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Fast Tracking New and Incumbent Worker Training
We are expanding the M.O.S.T.® program to serve other regions of the country. We are also in the development phase of applying this highly successful Fast Track training methodology to other advanced manufacturing skills for which there are shortages such as welding. These next generation Fast Track training programs will enable dislocated workers to leverage their manufacturing skills and train in another skill for which a job is available.
Lean Training Certification
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All Time Wise lean training programs meet the highest national training standards jointly developed and launched in 2006 by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), and the Shingo Prize for Excellence in Engineering. The AME/SME/Shingo Lean certification signifies proficiency in a real world environment. It indicates a commitment to continuous improvement and success in applying both the tools and philosophy in a lean enterprise.
Lean training delivered by Time Wise qualifies for inclusion in the 80 hours of training, education and development required to attain the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of certification. Trainees with minimal prior lean work experience who successfully complete Time Wise training have the option of applying to the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) for certification at the Bronze level. Lean practitioners with a dossier establishing some prior work experience are eligible to take the Silver or Gold exams upon submitting an application to SME. All certification candidates must complete the requirements of each level before they progress to the next. The progression model shows how higher levels build upon the development acquired during previous levels.
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Who benefits from lean training and certification?
Individuals: Employees and job seekers who obtain lean certification can demonstrate to employers that they have mastered the necessary skill set. They also can use lean certification to plan a training program that helps them advance along their chosen career path.
Companies: Employers are using lean certification to develop training curriculum and to get their employees trained and functioning at the various certification levels. Companies have also started requesting lean certification as a preferred credential in job postings.
Workforce investment boards: Workforce investment boards that hire training providers whose products qualify for lean certification can be assured that the training meets the highest national standards. The certification provides a portable nationally-recognized credential that can help job seekers obtain employment and can help incumbent workers advance along career paths.
Lean Healthcare
The Time Wise Lean Healthcare provides important workforce development benefits by helping hospitals meet the rising demand for services at a time when many facilities confront a severe nursing labor shortage. According to the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA), healthcare providers report that the current number one problem in occupational vacancies is for registered nurses. The Time Wise Lean Healthcare training program introduces process improvement principles to management and staff; helps tie Lean performance measures to management's strategic and financial plans; helps management and staff identify and prioritize work areas for improvements; trains teams of management/staff to implement and maintain improvements according to agreed upon measures; and provides support for continuous improvement. The results include improved quality of care, fewer medical errors, reduced patient wait times, greater patient satisfaction and improved morale among hospital employees.
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