Contact: Linda Abbott 608-826-6215; abbott@chorus.net
Training Within Industry (TWI) Engages Workers to Champion Lean and Innovation
MADISON, Wis. – Manufacturers looking for ways to empower employees to be agents of change within their organizations may be interested in a new offering from the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP).
Training Within Industry (TWI) is a nationally recognized and highly effective program to give employees the tools they need to succeed. TWI provides manufacturing supervisors with critical leadership and analytical skills to help them quickly and consistently train employee teams to support lean manufacturing. TWI gets at the heart of transforming an organization’s culture by engaging employees to be active participants in problem solving and continuous improvement.
“Our goal is to make the best use of the people, machines and materials available,” said Brian Grabowski, WMEP’s director of consulting services. “This is more important than ever in light of the recession. Manufacturers are under tremendous pressure to do more with less, and to do that, they need to fully engage their employees in lean initiatives across their business enterprises.”
TWI is a proven training strategy with deep roots in boosting the competitiveness of manufacturers in the U.S. and around the world. Developed in the 1940s to increase U.S. industrial production for World War II, TWI also was used to train employees as part of the emerging Toyota Production System, the world’s first lean manufacturing program, according to the Syracuse, New York-based TWI Institute. TWI is an integral element of kaizen, continuous improvement and standard work.
TWI is a four-prong approach:
* Job Methods training teaches employees to become problem solvers by showing them how to break down a job to its simplest terms and question every detail to find possible improvements.
* Job Relations training strengthens relationships between management and employees and resolves workplace conflicts. This leads to increased productivity, better morale and less turnover.
* Job Instruction training shows employees how to do a job correctly, safely and more efficiently. The benefits include improved quality and profitability; increased production; fewer accidents and reduced training time.
* Job Safety training provides a framework for supervisors to engage employees in identifying and eliminating potential hazards to create a safe and environmentally responsible workplace.
For more information on TWI, contact Brian Grabowski of WMEP at 877-856-8588 or grabowski@wmep.org.
ABOUT WMEP
WMEP is a private, nonprofit organization committed to the growth and success of Wisconsin manufacturers. WMEP is a leader in lean manufacturing, growth services, strategic business planning, quality systems and supplier development. During the past five years, WMEP-assisted manufacturers reported economic impact of $931 million with 8,635 jobs created/retained. WMEP receives financial support from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, and partners with many public and private organizations to serve Wisconsin manufacturers. For more information, visit http://www.wmep.org or call 1-877-856-8588.
