Tooling U-SME, a company specializing in manufacturing training and development, recently launched a new industry resource – Tooling U-SME’s Competency Framework.

The Competency Framework offers a newly designed online tool allowing companies to implement it across their organizations. The Competency Framework helps companies combat the increasing talent shortage and achieve stronger performance from their workforce while providing development pathways and career growth opportunities for their employees. It features a series of competency models in nine manufacturing functional areas and is made up of more than 60 defined job role competency models, outlining knowledge and skill objectives for job roles in production, technician, lead technician/technologist and engineer levels.

“While employers invest in equipment, tooling and materials, they often neglect to make similar investments in their employees,” said Jeannine Kunz, managing director of workforce and education for SME. “Tied to business goals, a well-designed training program, including the Competency Framework, becomes the foundation for performance management, talent acquisition, and leadership development, which helps drive a company’s competitiveness.”

Created by a committee of experts from industry and academia, Tooling U-SME’s Competency Framework is designed to complement other competency models in the marketplace.  It can be used "as is" or customized to individual work practices at a company's facility. For an improved training and development process, knowledge objectives within the framework are mapped directly to Tooling U-SME's extensive training resources.