When the production managers at Snyder's-Lance, Inc. sat down with Ohio State ATI's Business Training & Educational Services (BTES) team in the fall of 2011, they had one thing on their mind: training. Originally the Archway Cookie Co., the Ashland, OH plant had been purchased by snack maker Lance, Inc. in 2008, then merged with Snyder's of Hannover in 2010. With all the uncertainty and change during that period, training hadn't been a priority. Now the Snyder's-Lance merger gave the management team the stability and the resources to address their training needs, but they weren't sure where to start.
Melanie Garcia, Corporate Training Account Executive, and Bill Ferguson, lead instructor, from BTES suggested a multi-phased approach:
Phase I: Assessment
First we assessed the knowledge level of the current maintenance team using MultiCraft Assessment, an online assessment of mechanical and electrical skill. The results of these assessments identified skills gaps and allowed BTES to create a training program to "fill in the gaps." They also provided a benchmark score for post-training assessment.
Phase II: Analysis of Assessment Results and Recommendations for Training
After reviewing the results of the MultiCraft assessment, it was clear that Snyder's-Lance, Inc.'s maintenance team had a wide range of knowledge, which reflected the varying ages and experience of the employees. Our goal was to establish a solid foundation of skills for those who needed it, while building on the knowledge of the more experienced employees. The team's mechanical knowledge was strong, but there were gaps in their electrical knowledge, so we suggested the following training program of lecture, demonstration and hands-on labs:
Snyder's-Lance, Inc. - Maintenance Team Customized Training Program
- Basic Industrial Electricity
- Troubleshooting Electrical Systems
- Industrial Motors & Motor Control
- Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) I
- PLC II
- Instrumentation & Control
For complete descriptions of our industrial/technical training courses, please click here.
Phase III: Training & Logistics
Snyder's Lance, Inc.'s maintenance employees worked on all three shifts, and their unusual work schedules made it impossible to attend traditional on-campus courses. Luckily, it turned out to be ideal for BTES customized on-site training. Ohio State ATI worked around the company's schedule, curtailing training during their busy season, then resuming in late fall. "At BTES, we understand that the company's business comes first. In this case, it's making sure that Archway and Stella D'oro are on grocery shelves," says Garcia. "Training is important, but companies struggle to do it because they can't find a training partner flexible enough to meet their needs. We do everything we can to reduce the strain on day-to-day operations and employees -- from bringing the classroom to the company with portable training labs to working around work shifts and busy seasons. If that's what our clients need, then that's what we do."
Our instructors set up class in a convenient training space in Snyder's-Lance's distribution center. By attending training with their co-workers, they were able to discuss and solve actual company maintenance problems in class.
Results
Since January 2012, The Snyder's-Lance maintenance team has been engaged in this intensive training program, currently completing PLC II. What are the results? According to Kevin Canfield, Maintenance Manager at Snyder's-Lance, Inc., the immediate benefits have been numerous. He notes that there has been improvement in the team's morale. "They see that the company is willing to provide the necessary training to help them become better maintenance technicians. I've seen increased skills in the team, as they are more confident in troubleshooting problems, where in the past they would have backed off," says Canfield.
Congratulations, Snyder's-Lance, Inc.!
Interested in bringing training to your workforce? Contact Melanie Garcia