The concept of online education is nothing new—but its merits are only now being fully recognized. Once regarded as a less-than-desirable alternative to classroom learning, this now $34-billion industry shows no signs of slowing. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2019, 50 percent of all university classes will be online.
While born in higher-learning institutions, online education translates well to vocational and workforce-development scenarios—and has been steadily evolving within these applications over the last decade.
In the manufacturing business, success stories abound: Online training solves many of the workforce challenges facing today’s shop owner. Most importantly, online courses make adequate training more accessible to an industry that is feeling the pain of a serious skilled-labor shortage.
“Experienced CNC machine operators are becoming more and more scarce—and many of our customers are forced to hire employees with no prior manufacturing knowledge,” says Rod Jones, chief learning officer for DMG / Mori Seiki University (DMSU). “The cost and time involved in classroom or onsite training can sometimes be prohibitive.”
Still, forgoing training is simply not an option if businesses want to remain competitive.
“Manufacturers need to commit to ongoing training—especially as technology continues to change at a rapid pace,” he says. “You’re doing yourself a disservice if you invest in expensive equipment and expect the operation manual to suffice when it comes to getting your operators up to speed.”
Making the Web work
Jones says the answer is online: Internet-based training is much less expensive and manufacturers won’t lose precious human resources while their machinists train offsite. And as far as training options go, this is as flexible as it gets.
“We call our online education program Education on Demand (EOD) for a reason,” Jones says. “It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from any web-connected computer.”
To ensure its online education program is as valuable as it is convenient, the DMSU team stays well-versed in adult education and online learning principles. From identifying ways to promote deeper user engagement to understanding reading-comprehension levels, Jones and his group want to be sure their courses do their job.
“We understand how to cultivate the best online learning environment,” Jones explains. “This relies heavily on the interactive nature of our programs.”
Video-game-like experimentation on virtual machine tools offers the same visual engagement students would glean from operating the real thing. In addition to machine-specific courses, the EOD program also offers training on general manufacturing topics including lean manufacturing, metrology, manufacturing math, statistical process control and blueprint reading.
Courses run in chapters, with comprehension quizzes at the end of each section to help ensure knowledge absorption. Course content remains available for as long as six months after the initial training.
Jones notes that, often times, local distribution partners provide the aforementioned blended approach, inviting machinists in for hands-on reinforcement.
“Machinists will do the majority of their training online to get a good knowledge base and gain confidence,” Jones states. “Then put their learning to the test—usually with help from their sales or training rep—on their own shop floor or at a local technical center.”
Education that Passes the Test
Jones assures skeptical manufacturers that the EOD program has proven its worth several times over. In addition to the scores of satisfied shop owners, contenders at the 2009 WorldSkills competition can attest to the power of DMSU’s online program.
DMG / Mori Seiki USA was named an official supplier for the contest—which pits students from 51 countries against each other in vocational categories ranging from plumbing to CNC machining.
“Participants used our machines during competition, but more importantly, they prepared by training with EOD coursework,” Jones states. “It’s a testament to the power of this program.”
As EOD continues to expand (see sidebar), Jones is confident that it will help solve ever-present staffing challenges, while providing a competitive edge that comes only from advanced technology expertise.
“Everything we do—from the machines we make to the tooling and accessory partners we choose—is about keeping our customers ahead of the curve,” he says. “EOD, and the advantages it provides, is a crucial piece of the puzzle.”
EOD Expansion
Developing new online course offerings is a constant focus at DMSU, and with the relatively recent partnership between DMG and Mori Seiki in the United States, adding DMG machine training is a priority.
Jones says the EOD course for the popular DMU 50 is now officially in development, with an expected beta-version release at the end of December. Development for the universal Siemens lathe and machining courses are slated for completion by the first half of the 2012 fiscal year.
While DMSU will first release an English version of the new courses, they will ultimately be available in seven other languages.