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60 SMT Magazine • May 2017 and IPC-A-610 workmanship standards training along with other key skills training. TCC has recently purchased an SMT line and is now working with the company on a sylla- bus and courseware for a program that will train SMT production associates in a one-month pe- riod. In the interim, they are offering an intro- ductory one-week program. TCC also has computer-numerically con- trolled (CNC) machines and has set up a CNC training class. This is beneficial to the EMS pro- vider because its electromechanical assembly operations require some CNC equipment use. The company's commitment is that they will interview all students who complete TCC's electronics manufacturing-related programs if they choose to apply for a job. "In terms of career options, manufacturers provide transformational jobs for people who don't necessarily learn well out of a book. And just as we fill a gap by providing career options for people who like to learn and advance by do- ing, TCC fills a gap by attracting and offering hands-on training to people who are looking for a career with advancement potential that doesn't require a four-year or even a two-year degree," Eldred added. Graduates of the TCC programs are also computer-literate, a skill that has become criti- cal in manufacturing. There is a PC in front of most production associates at this EMS provid- er. The company has developed a proprietary suite of tools known as Possible-X, which is pre- dominately focused on supporting materials availability and specificity, real-time shop floor control, and documentation control. Possible- X's production dashboard, known as p-Dash was designed to ensure production associates had the information necessary to do their jobs in a user-friendly format. Associates must log in using their ID number. They utilize the system to clock in and out, plus access all documenta- tion related to their jobs, which is typically dis- played at workstation monitors. p-Dash also fa- cilitates movement of cross-trained associates among different work areas as demand varies, since documentation access is linked to work order. This ability to keep everyone fully load- ed in a facility where different production areas may have varying demand improves efficiency and ensures competitive cost. The system's log- in access requirement supports both intellectual property protection and ITAR compliance. p-Dash also lets associates open support tick- ets, which text a message to an engineer when- ever a production issue arises that the associate needs help with. This helps ensure that issues that could impact product quality are corrected immediately by a team member appropriately trained to address the issue. TCC represents just one tool in the compa- ny's toolbox. A local staffing agency is used to help recruit and screen production applicants, as well. And a robust onboarding process helps ensure new employees have support as they learn new skills. "We use Predictive Index (PI) testing in our initial screening activity. The staffing agency administers the test. We are specifically look- ing for people who pay attention to detail. We analyze the results and place the applicants in production work cells we think are best suit- ed to their skills. We reassign if further anal- ENHANCING RECRUITMENT EFFORTS WITH PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS Figure 1: TeligentEMS' real-time systems drive a need for computer literacy at all employee levels.