Effects of Plastics Training on Labor
January 31, 2008 9:12 am BusinessOne of the side effects of plastics training on the labor pool in the plastics industry is a gradual reduction in the number of workers required per unit of capital equipment. There is some irony in that statistic in that by becoming better trained as a group, the overall number of employees that the industry requires is gradually decreasing. Of course not all of that decrease is attributable to employee training. Technological advances have played an even larger role.
But if we look at the impact of employee training, the process by which manpower requirements have decreased runs roughly along these lines: A better trained, higher skilled employee is capable of running more than one primary processing machine. It is common for one technician to be responsible for 4 injection molding machines, for example. A better trained employee also produces better quality products which decreases the requirements in the quality control department. And finally, a better trained employee makes fewer mistakes that cause equipment damage which reduces the need for maintenance personnel.
So although everyone agrees that upgrades in knowledge and skills is a good thing overall for any industry, there are effects on individual employees within that industry that have negative short-term repercussions.