Many efforts to improve efficiency in manufacturing businesses are dependent on blue collar competences. New efficient machinery and lean ways of working are implemented in vain, if the employees have not internalized the knowledge and gained the competences to maintain and take further the efficiency gains. To achieve best results, competence management of blue collar workers should be systematic and forward-looking with a balance of high level strategic planning and hands-on competence development.
Competence management is a key lever of operational performance and risk management, enabling focusing on strategic initiatives instead of firefighting. Companies in manufacturing industries must meet strict regulatory requirements when it comes to health, safety and the environment as well as quality. In industries where products are manufactured in a continuous process, undisrupted operations are crucial for efficiency and financial performance. Additionally, the competences of individuals need to be developed and maintained to ensure high-quality products and services. But competence management is not only about individual skills, it is also important to enforce organizational competences like culture and practices that ensure continuous improvement and efficient ways of working – for instance, an atmosphere that encourages workers to discuss challenges and improvement ideas. Competence management gives an organization the flexibility to react fast. It is therefore also important that enterprises work with schools closely to help their future employees better adapt to the enterprise culture and working practices as well as adopt health & safety and environment norms.
Although competence management is often seen as a soft topic, the best results are gained with systematic analysis and actions that support the realities of the business. A good way to start is to think of competences as any other resource that requires well-defined processes such as strategic planning and development, acquisition, share and transfer, and maintenance. In addition to these one should consider managing the talent pool and the exit of competences. The strengths and pitfalls of a business can be spotted more easily through a process map. Organizations often tend to pay much more attention to acquiring competences than for instance exit management even if this holds the biggest risks the organization is facing. Still, even the parts of competence management that receive most of the organization’s attention are done with traditional methods that might not support learning in the most efficient manner.Therefore, there is an increasing need for manufacturing companies in Europe, especially in medium enterprises, to put in place and further develop systematic management.
PURPOSE
The overall purpose this project is to develop, pilot and implement a competence management system for metal (COMET) sector enterprises and schools in the framework of a school enterprise cooperation model and in partnership with European experience.