O'Brian, Patrick J., "Job Opportunity. Wanted: Multi-Skilled Technicians to Join a Six-Person Production Team Operating Highly Automated Equipment. Immediately", 1994
ua435
The combination of global competition and automation has had a major impact on how contemporary businesses serve their customers. Product development, operations, and sales have all been reshaped by the desire to provide high value products and services to the changing needs of customers. A corporation's ability to compete is intimately tied to its ability to continually develop its workforce. The number of traditional manufacturing jobs in the future will decline; the competency demands will increase. The paper outlines how one company developed six strategies to ensure that the skills of its workforce kept pace with the innovations of its production technology.