Proactive Technologies, Inc. – Staff
On March 7, 2023 The Wyandot County, OH Economic Development office hosted a day of informational presentations for local manufacturing leaders to discuss structured on-the-job training (“SOJT”), and its potential to accelerate the transfer of worker expertise to not only train the new workers an employer needs, but to close the training gaps of incumbent workers who may not have received formal, structured, documented training on the tasks that their employer expects them to master.
The site/host was chosen due to the close proximity to many other Proactive Technologies, Inc. (“PTI”) SOJT training projects with manufacturing employers in the region. In addition to Gregory Moon, Executive Director of the Wyandot County Economic Development and several local manufacturing representatives, in attendance were Greater Ohio Workforce Board – WIOA Area 7 representatives: Carol Kern, Ohio Job and Family Services – Seneca County, Diana Jacoby, Ohio Job and Family Services – Wyandot County, Marcia Frisch, Ohio Job and Family Services – Wyandot County, Kelly Carey, Ohio Job and Family Services – Delaware, Knox, Marion and Morrow Counties. Also attending was Frank Gibson, formally Program Manager for The Ohio State University – Alber Enterprise Center (retired, now an independent Management and Workforce Excellence Advisor).
The SOJT approach presented is rooted in the Navy and Air Force models of technical training, but made “user friendly” for private sector employers. PTI has automated the development of the tools of the human resource development process based on data derived from a thorough job/task analysis of each employer’s targeted job classifications using their subject matter experts. PTI provides technical implementation support to employer-clients to set-up, implement, document the SOJT process for each worker as tasks are mastered – even through a world of change – and provides monthly reporting. PTI researches and provides grant application and support that reimburses employers for the training delivery (something that is occurring anyway in an informal, unstructured and undocumented way regardless, without reimbursement). Employers can focus on their business while their
workforce is driven to “full job mastery.”
“The goal is to define completely the tasks that make up each targeted job, define the “best practice” to perform each task, find out what the employer has in place and working (somewhat) informally and build the formal SOJT infrastructure around it. The SOJT system is designed to each employer’s exact need,” said Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc. “This approach will accelerate the transfer of expertise from incumbent to new-hire workers and provide the records and documentation to support compliance with ISO/IATF/AS quality programs. This approach, also, makes it possible to collaborate with partners in education to provide credentials of “Job Mastery” to the workers in training.”
Projects are designed to create an apprenticeship path, whether registered or not, for any type of job classification – making it possible for any worker to participate in an apprenticeship and have the opportunity for advanced credentials. The established worker training infrastructure opens up other opportunities for employee cross-training, internships and linkages with local workforce agencies to select and prepare stronger, employer-specific candidates who have the foundation upon which to build the task-based expertise through SOJT.
PTI has had many projects throughout Ohio since 1995 and has partnered with several universities, community colleges, career centers and state agencies that provide reimbursement to employers for incumbent worker training delivery.
While at the OSU-Alber Center, Mr. Gibson and the Center partnered with PTI on several employer-specific worker development projects beginning in 1996. Since his retirement in 2016, he has continued to work with area manufacturers, educational institutions and area workforce development agencies to help meet the needs of employers – often bringing in PTI to partner when employers that are ready to enhance their internal training and worker performance efforts.
Said Gibson, “I have not seen a better way for employers to quickly and more fully develop the workers they need. If employers can deliberately develop their workers through structured on-the-job training like the Proactive Technologies’ systems approach provides, they can benefit from the increased worker capacity, work quality and quantity and compliance – while lowering their internal investment for training – that this system provides. Moreover, the training infrastructure they would now have allows them to benefit more greatly in a targeted way from area workforce development agency services and educational service providers.” He went on to add, ‘And let’s not forget the credentials that employees can gain while mastering their job classification! I see everyone winning with this approach.”
Other events are being planned, hosted by area economic development offices and educational institutions across Ohio. For more information and upcoming events, or to set-up an onsite presentation for your firm and staff, contact Proactive Technologies, Inc.
Proactive Technologies, Inc.®; PROTECH; Human Resource Management for Tomorrow...Today!® and logo;