Training Driver in Modern Manufacturing

Gill Williams, National Sales Manager, Propelr

If you follow business headlines, you know the future of U.S. manufacturing looks promising. The upside potential is massive. Yet, significant challenges threaten to overshadow any progress.

What do these dynamics mean for modern manufacturers? And how can well-crafted training solutions help?

Today, I’m exploring these questions with Gill Williams , National Sales Manager at Propelr (previously CD2 Learning). Gill and his company have been leading the way in enterprise learning innovation for over 10 years. And he is passionate about helping manufacturers embrace learning as a strategic advantage.

So, join Gill and me to find out how training can shape the future of manufacturing, as we compare notes on this episode of the Talented Learning Show …

• U.S. manufacturing is poised for growth, but serious hurdles stand in the way. With skilled talent in short supply and older workers retiring at a rapid pace, many companies are struggling to expand their teams ,
• These trends underscore the strategic value of training for manufacturing companies that must expand their teams and build a more productive, stable workforce .
• This urgent need for skilled talent opens the door for learning platforms like Propelr, which is designed to deliver frontline workforce safety, compliance , and development solutions for modern manufacturers.

Welcome back, Gill. First, let’s talk about Propelr. It’s a new name, but not a new company. Tell us about that…

Thanks, John. Yes, we’ve been around since 2008, originally as CD2 Learning, and more recently as part of the Nelnet family of companies.

Now, with the Propelr brand, our learning platform serves businesses across multiple sectors that fuel America. One of those areas is training in modern manufacturing, which is one of my favorite markets.

What type of manufacturers do you serve?

We work with organizations across many verticals, from medical devices to mining, fabrication, and true heavy industrial equipment like tractors and rail cars.

Being involved with the diverse needs and problems these organizations face every day is interesting.

It’s especially cool because we’re on the front lines, seeing problems we can help these companies solve. At the same time, we’re helping people who work in these organizations solve day-to-day problems and become great at doing their jobs.

What are some of the biggest learning challenges manufacturing companies are facing right now?

Definitely safety and compliance. We’re talking about people’s livelihoods, as well as their lives, and how to keep them safe.

When you think about productivity, safety is a huge component of that. It’s not only about how people can be highly productive in their function and workflow. But also, how they can do those things safely, in a repeatable way.

So, safety and compliance strategies consider multiple levels, from performing in ways that protect people from getting injured, to reducing hazardous incidents and their related costs, all the way to supporting broader business risk management goals.

In addition, there’s a huge skill gap in the manufacturing space.

But here’s another crazy estimate:
More than 2 million manufacturing jobs are likely to remain unfilled over the next five years until 2030. That’s largely because people won’t have sufficient skills.

So, manufacturers are already facing huge issues around succession planning, knowledge gaps, and safety. And that problem is likely to be exacerbated over time.

That’s where our solutions fit in. We help organizations operate safely in highly productive ways now, while also helping them build a pipeline of capable people who can do great work for them in the future.

Find out how companies are achieving more with learning systems that create business value. Get inspiration from dozens of success stories in our free LMS Case Study Directory …

Why are so many jobs open?

Well, in our culture, recent generations haven’t considered manufacturing a cool or promising career choice for…