Emerson Jumps into Skills Gap

Emerson's Shakopee, MN, training facility is one part of a corporate-wide program to "upskill" workers.

Mike Train, exec. president, Emerson Automation Solutions at the 2017 Emerson Global Users Group event (Oct. 2 to 6, Minneapolis), in his opening remarks asked the question: “Why do some reach the top quartile while others lag far behind? Technology is available to everyone.

“The difference is how companies manage change, how they harness technology investments, and evolve their organizations. Technology alone won’t get you there. That’s why this year we’re putting the focus on the new digital worker.

“Regardless of how advanced technology becomes, it’s still about the people, people making good decisions, people taking the right actions. Your personnel are the secret to top quartile functions. This means helping them evolve their knowledge and skills, enriching their careers, and helping them add value to the company.

“We are already seeing that traditional manual jobs are turning into data-powered skilled roles across the U.S. Emerson partners with 350 educational institutions so that today’s work force, and tomorrow’s, will have the skills they need.”

One way Emerson is helping to empower and equip todays workforce is through their Plantweb system and their Operational Certainty Consulting Group. Operational Certainty Consulting vice president and general manager Tom Waun pointed out that, when organizations were asked to identify the biggest challenges their operational efficiency programs face:

• 47% pointed to company culture
• 41% indicated a lack of a clear business strategy
• 34% stated that it is knowing which technology will deliver measureable improvements

Emerson Operational Consulting services will provide partnering to help with IT/OT convergence and change-management aspects of an organization such as safety, reliability, production, and energy. Waun also stated a commitment to stay with customers to completion to help them achieve top-quartile performance.

Another offering focused on developing the digital worker is Emerson’s workforce “upskilling” education program. According to Tanner Rundall, director of educational services, the company is deploying a training program they’ve successfully used internally to offer online courses, in-class instruction, and workshops that pair customers with experienced Emerson process-control experts. This Emerson Control Performance Academy addresses the knowledge gap and, in less than two years, is designed to tranform an individual with minimal experience to a high-performing controls professional.

The program identifies customer needs and provides training in those areas through a customized curriculum. It also offers skid-mounted training tools for on-site refresher courses.

As part of the Control Performance Academy, Emerson has built and is using an interactive plant environment training facility at their Skakopee, MN plant. That facility offers:

• more than 430 I/O points
• a full breadth of Emerson’s latest technology
• functional plant processes.

It simulates an actual plant, requiring full PPE and safety procedures and is designed to return students to work with the confidence of having practiced in a live plant with real applications and minimal risk.

According to Mike Train, “We want to raise awareness and make manufacturing a rewarding career path. We want to help employees add value to their organizations. It’s good for industry and good for our economies.”