The exodus of employees set to retire in the next few years means medical companies should transfer skills from seasoned and experienced employees to the more recent hires. To address this problem, the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (nims-skills.org) developed a way to train and certify company personnel responsible for On-the-Job Training. The NIMS work was led by an expert panel comprised of human resources and training specialists and took two years of work with manufacturing companies across the nation. The Institute sets skill standards for the precision metalworking industry and certifies individual skills against these standards.

The new training programs have been field tested and piloted in 17 key manufacturing states. “These programs will set the bar for on-the-job training delivery in the manufacturing industry,” says President of NIMS Board of Directors Gregory Chambers. “Knowledge management and skills transfer will be the primary building blocks of the innovative and agile workplace.”