Is a lack of knowledge about how to use ever-improving technology leading to a drop in Canadian workplace productivity or are there a combination of factors contributing to poor productivity?
Falling workplace productivity is in the headlines. Bank of Canada deputy governor Carolyn Rogers spoke about the challenge of slumping Canadian productivity and the need to improve it in March 2024. She cited the importance of training and reskilling programs to improve the productivity in Canada’s companies1.
Productivity has worsened since the pandemic with Canada only ranking fifth among the G7 nations (last measured in the third quarter 2023)2 and, correspondingly, capital and human capital investment have been weaker3.
WBLC has a proven track record of working with companies to help them to train and upskill employees – to improve productivity, often leveraging new technology.
Addressing Workplace Productivity
Future Skills Canada estimates that 78% of manufacturing firms arrange or provide for job specific training to employees. Employers invest in training, including new technology training, to enhance productivity and competitiveness, address skills gaps and to strengthen relationships with employees.
A Future Skills Canada report on employer-sponsored skills training noted that the training “helps bridge gaps between formal education the specific skills required in workplaces, including gaps that emerge from technological, regulatory, and other economic and social changes. Training helps employers improve productivity and product and service quality. It also contributes to a culture and practice of lifelong learning that supports employees’ skills development and improves opportunities and wages throughout their careers.”4
“It’s exciting to be working at the forefront of training and the resulting productivity improvement,” says Rick Stomphorst, Employer Relations Manager at Work Based Learning Consortium (WBLC). “Manufacturing companies frequently turn to us for help with CNC training and employees have definitely benefited from the training. For example, there are manual general machinists that require training to upgrade to become CNC machinists. We have an extremely comprehensive range of CNC machinist training programs.”4
Upskilling in Action: from Manual Machinist to CNC Machinist
Athanasios Kourgialis (shown here) of ADM Stainless Steel recently completed WBLC’s CNC Machinist Upskilling training to transition from a manual general machinist to a CNC lathe operator. Like many firms, Kourgialis’ employer paid for the training.
“I had been working as manual operator and recently our firm added additional CNC machines, a lathe and mill,” says Kourgialis. “My boss approached me about training to operate these new CNC machines, and that’s how things got started.”
The training Kourgialis took was e-Learning with periodic virtual classrooms, spread over three months, covering an introduction to CNC manufacturing, core and CNC mathematics, CNC work documentation, and CNC machining.
“I had no prior experience working on a CNC machine, so for me, it was all starting from scratch,” adds Kourgialis. “The CNC part, the math and the coding elements were extremely helpful. We had no hands-on experience, so having videos as part of the e-Learning was absolutely essential.”
Within a matter of weeks after completing the training, Kourgialis was able to successfully transition onto the new CNC machines.
Layering CNC Machinist elearning on University education
Zheyi Bei also found the training helpful. Bei is a full-time student studying manufacturing engineering, while also working part-time at Paragon Systems. His company manager generously approached him about taking WBLC’s CNC training.
The CNC machinist e-Learning was a new experience for Bei and he found it very useful.
“I had some basic CNC learning from my college” says Bei. “[WBLC’s] e-Learning has shown me many things, including G-Codes, CNC, CNC lathe and other things. It’s helped me a lot during my work.”
Prior to the training, Bei was a general machinist, operating milling machines. He found the e-Learning helped him to expand his understanding of different machining aspects and he liked the videos showing CNC lathes in various stages of operation.
Bei was surprised by the scope of the training.
“We learned about different machines and different coding. My schooling only showed me the easy things using the most common codes, but the e-Learning taught me more about coding,” adds Bei. “The math also was very helpful.”
Bei is very appreciative of the training and he’s found the training received at work as well as at school have been complimentary.
“It’s good to be working and studying at the same time,” he says. “I can learn and work at the same time. My manager gave me a chance to learn this, and it’s been very good.”
“It’s been very rewarding to see WBLC upskill employees to use the latest technology, and increasing their productivity via our CNC Machinist training,” adds Stomphorst. “We work with a range of companies, from small shops to large international organizations. Other benefits — customers realize reduced errors, reduced scrap, decreased cutting tool costs, increased safety & reduced injuries, improved production quality and generate more revenue for the company.”
Notes
1. Time to break the glass; Fixing Canada’s productivity problem, Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers, Halifax Nova Scotia, Mar. 26, 2024 https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2024/03/time-to-break-the-glass-fixing-canadas-productivity-problem/
2. Proof point: Weak productivity is threatening Canada’s post-pandemic wage growth, RBC Feb. 28, 2024, https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/weak-productivity-is-threatening-canadas-post-pandemic-wage-growth/
3. Mind the Gap: Canada is falling behind the standard-of-living curve, TD Bank, July 13, 2023, https://economics.td.com/ca-falling-behind-standard-of-living-curve
4.Employer-sponsored skills training, Future Skills Centre, March 2023