Tooling U-SME and CESMII Bridge Skills Gap with Smart Workforce Development

Tooling U, a part of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) workforce development division, has teamed up with the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) to launch a Fundamentals of Smart Manufacturing learning curriculum. The curriculum caters to entry-level and industry professionals that seek to place a firm foothold within the Smart Manufacturing landscape.

The fourth industrial revolution runs on Smart Manufacturing operations. Does the current manufacturing workforce have the knowledge and skills required to realize the revolution? Image used courtesy of Adobe Stock

Tooling U-SME

Tooling U, the digital university of SME, provides training and education for the manufacturing community, preparing the workforce of the future for Smart Manufacturing operations. The organization resulted in a collaboration between an online training provider focusing on educating manufacturing experts, Tooling U, and SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers).

SME has served the manufacturing sector for more than 90 years. The non-profit organization promotes knowledge exchange, manufacturing technology, and skills development. The organization provides a variety of resources, such as publications, events, industry certifications, and training programs.

To assist individuals and organizations in staying competitive in the rapidly changing manufacturing market, Tooling U-SME seeks to offer comprehensive training packages. The training is suitable for young professionals seeking fundamental skills development and seasoned professionals seeking to update their expertise in fields like smart manufacturing, digital technology, and advanced manufacturing processes.

Bridging the Manufacturing Skills Gap

There are over 30 brief self-paced training courses in the Fundamentals of Smart Manufacturing curriculum. Employees and students can access the program from many popular online training platforms used in various college or workforce dev settings because it was developed in compliance with industry standards for distance learning.

Throughout the Fundamentals of Smart Manufacturing learning curriculum, CESMII and Tooling U-SME aim to bridge the ‘manufacturing skills gap’. The curriculum covers key topic areas, including:

• Introductions to Smart Manufacturing and Smart Business Strategy
• Data capture and organization
• Creating an integrated manufacturing system through platform, system, and data connection
• Data-driven insight generation to aid effective decision-making
• Automation of flow and control
• Cybersecurity

How Can the Engineering Community Benefit?

Let’s take a look at one specific aspect of the curriculum, understanding the purpose of statistical process control (SPC) and techniques for implementation. Why would an engineer need to learn or brush up on such knowledge? Well, the benefits include improved product and/or service quality, greater customer satisfaction, reduced rework and waste, improved pross understanding, as well as overall process control.

Data collection and transfer are key to learning and smart system operations. Image used courtesy of Adobe Stock

Trainees can get to grips with process analysis by understanding how to use different control charts (such as R, X bar, and P charts) to read in-control and out-of-control signs correctly. This enables engineers to make thorough inspections of processes, optimize processes when required, and adhere to quality standards.

Engineers could use Tooling U-SME’s new curriculum to update their knowledge of programmable logic controllers, digital networks, and the digital thread. For manufacturing floor operators, having a comprehensive knowledge of the digital thread can provide opportunities for improving or updating communications and data sharing between machines, digital storage, and personnel. By facilitating more fluid, real-time data transfer throughout product design and development stages, as well as production, supply chain management, and consumer usage, operators or managers can keep on top of product inventories and shipping with supply chain partners, and ensure product quality and traceability.

These are just some of the areas of the curriculum that learners can delve into enhance their knowledge and skills.

How Do I Get Started?

On Control.com, our goal is to provide access to learning and education for current and future engineers. Although the future of technology in manufacturing may be uncertain (go ahead, try to predict what technology will look like in 30 years), we encourage engineers to investigate new, innovative ways to expand skills and knowledge across a variety of relevant topics.

To explore this curriculum, or perhaps even to inquire about getting started for yourself or your manufacturing team, the course is hosted on the Smart Manufacturing Institute's site. An overview of the modules is provided for a clearer understanding of the outcomes and objectives to help launch you into future success.

Through transformational workforce development, the collaboration between CESMII and Tooling U-SME on smart manufacturing training is hoped to hasten acceptance and propel future workforce advancement.

Featured image used courtesy of CESMII