Trends in equipment operator training technology Chuck Frey Marketing Manager VISTA Training Inc., Waterford, Wisconsin Presenter, 2012 APWA Congress
riven by demographic changes and advances in technology, equipment operator training is in the midst of a revolution. These trends will have a far-reaching impact on how newcomers to the utility and underground construction sectors will be trained to become safe, proficient equipment operators. As the Baby Boomer generation retires, it is leaving behind a gaping void that many fleet owners are finding hard to fill. In past years, contractors and municipalities could count on a steady stream of new hires who had some heavy equipment experience. Many young people grew up on farms, where they logged many hours behind the controls of a tractor or combine. Today, that’s the exception rather than the rule. The majority of young people have grown up in urban areas; the closest they have come to operating heavy equipment is in video games. As a result, there are fewer candidates available who have a natural aptitude for equipment operation. As the economy begins to improve and the number of construction projects grows, this will soon become a significant problem for municipalities and underground contractors alike. At the same time, technology is in the process of revolutionizing how operator training is developed and delivered. Let’s take a look at how the intersection of these two trends will impact your operations in the years ahead. 44 APWA Reporter
August 2012
Web-based training programs: During the past decade, a growing percentage of training has moved from the classroom to computerbased training (CBT), delivered via CD or DVD. Now, thanks to the proliferation of high-speed Internet service, operator training content is starting to move to web delivery. The first wave of web-enabled training was primarily existing CBT content, converted into a web-deliverable video format. This was adequate, but limited in its instructional value. The latest generation of web-based training uses multimedia technology to deliver more interactive learning, including animations of machine tasks, “check your knowledge” questions to verify that students have understood the training topics, and automatically scored final exams. Perhaps the biggest advantage of these self-paced learning programs is that they can be delivered on demand to any computer with a high-speed Internet connection. In other words, you can conduct training when and where it’s most convenient. A learning management system (LMS) stores student, course and exam data, enabling trainers to manage students and courses and to track learning. The data contained in an LMS can serve as proof that your operators have been properly trained in safe work techniques. In the past, most learning management systems were expensive and proprietary. But thanks to the development of opensource applications like Moodle— which is widely used by community colleges—a basic LMS is now more affordable than ever.
PC-based simulation: In the past, equipment simulation was limited to large, expensive motion platform units that cost $1 million or more— far out of reach for municipalities and underground contractors. Thanks to recent developments in 3D modeling and affordable, highspeed computers, a new generation of simulators has emerged. Excavators, wheel loaders and other common types of equipment can be controlled in simulated environments, using PC gaming joysticks, steering wheels and pedals. Simulation helps trainees become familiar with the controls of the machine, and the actions needed to perform common tasks. Through hours of practice, they build “muscle memory” that will become useful when they transition to field training on an actual machine. Simulation sessions cover common machine tasks, such as digging and dumping. Data on cycle times and other key machine functions is recorded in a database. This gives trainers an objective, quantifiable assessment of each operator’s performance, so they can identify coaching needs for each trainee. One municipality, Québec City, Québec, even uses a simulator as an assessment tool. Applicants are trained to run a PC-based excavator simulator. After a number of hours of practice, they take an aptitude test to measure what they’ve learned. The City has found that approximately 25 percent of applicants have little or no potential. This test enables the
