Workforce Development
Technical Skill Assessments: A Tool for Managers, Machinists, and More By: Tony Glockler, CEO and Cofounder of SolidProfessor
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he industrial manufacturing sphere is facing many exciting opportunities for innovation and digital transformation thanks to Industry 4.0. Many sectors — from heavy equipment and machinery to mold, tool, and die — will be growing significantly over the next decade. The industry is slated to create several million jobs, encompassing skilled production roles such as CNC machinists and programmers as well as engineers, scientists, and researchers. However, all of this growth and opportunity comes with some major hurdles, one of which is the significant shortage of skilled workers. This skilled labor gap has the potential to leave millions of new jobs unfilled and is already causing hiring delays in the industry. One way that organizations are tackling this challenge is by hiring outside of their typical job requirements. This often means focusing less on technical skills and instead hiring for skills such as logic troubleshooting, spatial visualization, critical thinking, and most importantly, a willingness to learn. Organizations must then take a more active role in providing training resources and opportunities to help workers get their technical and software skills up to par. Employers are offering more apprenticeships, coordinating on-the-job training, and providing access to tools like online learning platforms. With the need to upskill employees quickly, tools like skill assessments are incredibly helpful for both employers and potential candidates. Skill assessments for technical skills like CAD and CAM software can be used in a number of different ways to aid in the hiring process and build an effective training program for manufacturing workers.
What Are Skill Assessments and How Do They Work? Skill assessments test an individual’s proficiency in specific competencies. Unlike resumes and in-person interviews, skill assessments offer an objective and standardized method for measuring skills. The assessments provide clear scores, ratings, and analyses that highlight strengths and weaknesses. Technical skill assessment scores are one of the most important inputs when conducting a skills gap analysis. In a skills gap analysis, you can compare these scores to help determine where gaps exist between existing and required skill levels, and even between different employees on a team.
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20 IMD APRIL 2020
Many online learning platforms offer skill assessments for technical skills including CAD and CAM software. Some platforms will even aggregate team results and/or break down the assessment scores by separate skill sets. For example, an online SOLIDWORKS skill assessment might give you scores in Drawing, Assemblies, and more in addition to an overall score so you can get a clearer understanding of individual competencies as well as overall results.
