Brian Oliver has worked in manufacturing in Rhode Island for 20 years. He learned how to operate computer numerical control (CNC) machines on the job, without formal training.
Oliver started working at Taco Inc. in Cranston six months ago as a CNC machine operator in the commercial pump division. When an opportunity arose to take a free 15-week CNC training class at the facility, Oliver said, he came forward because it was “one of the first opportunities to further my education.”
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Though the curriculum was fairly basic, a sort of review for a seasoned CNC operator, it was the first time he’d ever received training from an employer, he said.
It was also a new thing for Taco, which teamed up with the Community College of Rhode Island to offer the training. CCRI provided an “industry expert” to teach the course, said Suzanne D’Onofrio, director of workforce training and corporate education at CCRI.
The college developed a customized course for the Taco workers, an option it offers to any employer seeking industry-specific training.
“We work with people in the house to put it together so the company’s goals are being met,” she said. “We’ve done this in health care, in manufacturing, in language training.”
Kyle A. Adamonis, vice president of human resources at Taco, said the company sponsored the course because CNC operators “are looked at as a dying breed. Not that many are being trained on CNC. It’s hard to find qualified operators.”
CNC machines are used to cut metal and create precision parts used in the manufacturing of Taco’s pumps and valves, which are used in heating, venting and air-conditioning systems, said Bill Young, manufacturing engineer at Taco and coordinator of the training course.
Though some vocational schools offer this type of training, he said, many use outdated technologies because they can’t afford the latest machines. Taco is constantly updating its technology, he said, so tailoring workers’ skills to the real world “is a challenge.”
Six employees graduated from the 15-week course last week. They came from different divisions, with different skill sets; each spent one and a half hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Jim Kiley, the instructor. The more experienced helped the less experienced, which freed Kiley to give one-on-one attention to students when needed, he said.
“My theory is you can learn anything, but if you can teach it, you really know it,” said Kiley, who is also a journeyman machinist and teacher in the manufacturing sequence at Coventry High School.
CCRI paired Kiley with Young to develop a curriculum specific to Taco’s needs.
“The whole idea was to try to critique the course around Taco blueprints and the Taco way of manufacturing,” Kiley said. Because of Taco’s diverse work force, Kiley said, it was challenging to teach two students who spoke English as their second language. But he overcame the obstacle by “illustrating” the lessons.
“It’s called project-based learning,” he said. “With math there is no language.”
D’Onofrio said Taco will be funding another CNC training course in the fall. The company might offer another fundamental course for six new employees. Young said they are also talking of providing more advanced training for graduates of the first course.
“Our business is changing,” he said. “To be more competitive, we need a more educated work force.”
Too many companies think the only way to retain employees and encourage them to work harder is by offering them money, said D’Onofrio.
“That’s not necessarily true,” she said. “It’s that the company is taking the time to invest in them. It can be done by education. That is very important to them. Taco understands that.”
