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Education and Training 36 MoldMaking Technology —— SEPTEMBER 2017 Using Cutting Tools to Shape the Talent Pipeline OSG USA Inc. (Irving, Texas), a supplier of drills, taps, end mills and indexable cutting tools, has been actively building relationships with high schools, community colleges, trade schools and universities in the Chicago area for 49 years. Paul Wilhelm, human resources generalist, says this strategy has helped establish and maintain a "talent pipe- line" for the company's manufacturing and engineering positions. These relationships are also meant to create awareness of careers in manufacturing, he says, adding, "We work with local schools and orga- nizations to plan and execute plant tours for faculty and their students to learn about our business structure and manufacturing oper- ations in Bensenville, Illinois." OSG also organizes the tours so that they correspond with the audience's field of study, such as CNC operation/setup, engineering and so on. The tours give examples of career paths that an entry-level hire can expect to follow. In addi- tion to hosting students and instructors, OSG also donates tools like drills, endmills and taps to local colleges. The com- pany is currently working on developing a scholarship award that would be given annually to students enrolled in machining, manufacturing or engineering- related studies at vocational schools, technical schools or traditional schools of higher education. OSG regularly participates in local career-related events like the College of DuPage Manufacturing Expo, which usually occurs each fall. During the event, groups of high school students visit exhibitors' booths to learn about each company's products and business. "It's a unique way to raise awareness of manufacturing in younger people who may be undecided about whether they will go to college or what they want to do for a career," Wilhelm says. Trumpf currently has 13 machines dedicated to training, and apprentices spend quite a bit of time in the training center, often alongside customers, learning the ins and outs of how the machines work, how to program and run them, as well as how to troubleshoot them. Image courtesy of Trumpf North America. "We hired a part-time employee from Fenton High School in Bensenville who we met through this event." For current employees, OSG established an internal train- ing and education program called OSG Group University, which involves classroom training conducted for employees by employees and on company time. "We offer between 50 and 60 classes per year, with topics ranging from business communication skills to presentation skills to basic and advanced engineering concepts and our tool manufacturing process," Wilhelm says. "Department managers often are our subject-matter experts who are the instructors, while our company's executive team, together with all management personnel, advises on the focus for OSG Group University curriculum." Training Laser-Sharp Apprentices TRUMPF North America (Farmington, Connecticut), a sup- plier of machine tools and laser systems, was one of nine U.S. companies recognized by the National Fund for Workforce Development as a 2017 Young Adult Employer Champion. Dr. Christine Benz, training manager, was instrumental in launching the company's Machine Tool Technician appren- ticeship three years ago to help speed up the recruitment of new talent for difficult-to-fill field service engineer positions. According to Benz, Trumpf 's field service engineers must possess good mechanical skills, a background in electronics and pneumatics and troubleshooting skills. Good interper- sonal skills are also essential because these engineers are the We work with local schools and organizations to plan and execute plant tours for faculty and their students to learn about our business structure and manufacturing operations.