Issuu

JULY/AUGUST 2021

PLANT.CA

WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING Females’ responses on the salary survey p.14

TOP TALENT How to master your hiring process p.17

BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Skill Acquisition and Definition - The Dreyfus Model p.22

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM

Executive salaries continue to increase, as impact of COVID-19 begins to wane. p.8

Keywords

Location

Distance

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INSIDE JULY/AUGUST 2021

8 14 16 17 18 22 24

Cover story CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM Executive salaries continue to increase, as impact of COVID-19 begins to wane. FOCUS: WOMEN IN MANUFACTURING Getting a better picture of satisfaction levels and salaries of females in the manufacturing sector. SALARY SURVEY – EMC’S TAKE Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium’s take on the manufacturing industry and the salary survey results. CAN’T FIND TOP TALENT? TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR The strategies used in the hiring process today. HOW AN INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURER WROTE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF ITS 100-YEAR PLAN Two DuroVac presidents discuss the importance of financial stability and succession planning.

DON’T LET SAFETY MEASURES SLIP: HOW TO PREVENT SLIPS, TRIPS, AND FALLS AT WORK Workers and managers on the plant floor need to be aware of the risks that come with the job.

4 EDITORIAL 6 NEWS 25 TECH CENTRE 26 POSTSCRIPT Help Build Manufacturing Skills and Entrepreneurship Through Indigenous Education

Cover photo: © ipopba / Adobe Stock

SKILL ACQUISITION AND DEFINITION THE DREYFUS MODEL In 1980, a couple of brothers with the last name Dreyfus proposed a model of skill acquisition.

In every issue

@PLANT_Magazine

/plant-magazine

July/August 2021 / Plant 3

EDITORIAL

BY MARIO CYWINSKI JULY/AUGUST 2021 • Volume 79, Number 4

Pandemic impact decreasing

Photo: Funtap / iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

READER SERVICE

his year was the first time I had year-over-year, compared to the the task of going through the results of the 2020 survey, which EMC-PLANT Manufacturing Be sure to had the average national salary Salary Survey. The annual sur- read the at $123,422. As respondents vey of executive salaries is an excellent salary survey differ year-to-year, if we use what source of data, and a great view into de- articles and this year’s respondents said they mographics, salary comparisons, man- find out earned in 2020 ($125,452), an agement issues, and more. As someone results on increase of 3.3 per cent is still who has always been interested in sta- pages 8, 14, observed. tistics, this was definitely an enjoyable and 16 Some interesting findings, the task. Moreover, this year marks the 20th average age of respondents was year of conducting the salary survey. 53.7, average years in the industry is 25.9, avThis year we expanded the salary survey erage time in current position was 12.9 years, content to include an article which focuses 45 per cent had a university degree, 44 per cent on women in manufacturing, written by our of companies had less than 50 employees, and Associate Editor, Maryam Farag. She took a 76 per cent of respondents were male. As part of the survey, we also received feeddeep dive to try and help get a better picture of satisfaction levels and salaries of female back comments from the respondents, which managers and senior executives in the man- we are going through and will post them in ufacturing sector across Canada. Our second an article on our web site. In addition to the addition is a question and answer article with articles covering the salary survey, we will also survey partner Excellence in Manufacturing be posting the results, as well as our “gauge Consortium, to get their take on the results, your wage” salary calculator. and on the manufacturing industry. Plant is also working on its Advanced What we found in the data was that while Manufacturing Outlook Survey 2022, look COVID-19 is still very much on everyone’s for it in an upcoming issue. mind, the impact is slowly beginning to wane, If you have any questions, comments, or which is allowing for cautious optimism to suggestions for any upcoming issues of Plant, emerge. In all, 68 per cent of survey respon- do not hesitate to contact us. Also, be sure foldents said that the pandemic did not have an low us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. effect on their compensation, with nine per Thank you. cent saying it had a positive impact, leaving less than a quarter (23 per cent) saying it had MARIO CYWINSKI, EDITOR a negative impact. Overall, the average salary for 2021 Comments? E-mail is $129,685, an increase of 4.8 per cent, mcywinski@annexbusinessmedia.com

Connect with Plant magazine @PLANT_Magazine facebook.com/PlantMagazine/ 4

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ASSOCIATE EDITOR Maryam Farag 437-788-8830 · mfarag@annexbusinessmedia.com SENIOR PUBLISHER Scott Atkinson 416-510-5207 · satkinson@annexbusinessmedia.com NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Ilana Fawcett

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES

Canada – $ 76.00 per year USA – $201.00 (CAD) per year International – $227.00 (CAD) per year Single copy – Canada $12.00 Add applicable taxes to all rates. Combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. ISSN: 1929-6606 (Print), 1929-6614 (Online). PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40065710

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: PLANT Circulation Department, 111 Gordon Baker Rd. Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 ©2021 Annex Business Media. All rights reserved. Performance claims for products listed in this issue are made by contributing manufacturers and agencies. PLANT receives unsolicited materials including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images from time to time. PLANT, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. This statement does not apply to materials/pitches submitted by freelance writers, photographers or illustrators in accordance with known industry practices. PRINTED IN CANADA

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Coming this Fall in FACTORY OF THE FUTURE September / October

Canadian manufacturers lag their global peers in the implementation of technologies, which improve productivity, production efficiency and provide deeper visibility into business operations. As companies recognize the need to adopt “factory of the future” technologies to deal with skills and labour shortages, improve production and provide real-time views of their business, PLANT will identify trends, technology solutions, application of business intelligence and the challenges to implementation and how to address them. ZAPP2PHOTO - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

CYBER SECURITY

November / December A growing concern among manufacturers is the risk of cyber attacks. It has become increasingly necessary for manufacturers to implement risk management plans to protect themselves, and to deal with incursions that will come. Our in-depth report will explore what leading companies are doing to stem the risk of cyber attacks, and deal effectively with them when they do occur.

DEAGREEZ - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

SPECIAL REPORT IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER EDITION. ADVANCED MANUFACTURING OUTLOOK 2022

CANADA’S LARGEST ANNUAL SURVEY OF MANUFACTURERS.

NEWS PODCAST

PLANT TALK DEBUTS, LISTEN NOW!

Plant Talk is a podcast brought to you by Canada’s Manufacturing Magazine. It is presented by Plant magazine, Canada’s industry voice since 1942 for manufacturing owners, senior executives, administrators and managers who represent all links in the manufacturing decision-making chain. Tune in to hear conversations with industry experts on comprehensive topics that are of utmost importance to the manufacturing industry. In this episode, guest Greta Cutulenco, from Acerta Analytics Solutions, speaks with Plant’s Associate Editor, Maryam Farag, about the differences between the automotive and tech industries. LISTEN HERE: www.plant.ca/podcasts/

NISSAN CANADA SENIOR MANAGEMENT CHANGES

Trevor Longley

Photos: Nissan Canada.

Nissan Canada has made changes to its management team, effective July 1. Ken Hearn becomes appointed Director of Marketing, succeeding Adam Paterson. Hearn was most recently Director of Dealer Network Development and Customer Quality, which will not be taken over by Trevor Longley, who was most recently Director of Aftersales Operations for Nissan and INFINITI USA. Hearn has been with Nissan Canada since 2013, and held a number of roles. Hearn will now be responsible for the planning and implementation of all marketing, communications and media for national, retail, digital, customer relationship management, sponsorships and auto shows. He will also lead product planning and day-to-day market actions on Nissan products. Longley comes back to Canada from his role in the U.S., as he served as director of aftersales and quality assurance for three years at Nissan Canada. He will now be managing the customer quality process, customer experience and product training, and leading development of the dealer network for Nissan Canada. Both will now report to Milette, and be based out of Nissan Canada’s Mississauga offices. 6

Plant / July/August 2021

Photo: Mario Cywinski

ALL NEW LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLES SOLD MUST BE ZERO-EMISSION BY 2035: GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

AUTOMOTIVE

Ken Hearn

Ford Mach-E electric vehicle.

$57.9 MILLION

Total manufacturing sales for May 2021. Year-over-year, total sales saw a 42.6 per cent increase, according to Statistics Canada.

and depending on market conditions, three shifts in 2024. BrightDrop will begin initial production of EV600 later this year. BrightDrop equipment The Government of Canada an- will be moved to Ingersoll after pronounced a mandatory target that all duction of the Equinox ends, reducing new light-duty cars and passenger time for plant changeover. trucks sales be zero-emission by 2035, TRANSIT moving up its previous goal of 2040. Canada will pursue investments and regulations in order to help Canadians ABB POWERS EMISSIONand industry transition. It plans to FREE PUBLIC TRANSIT IN work with partners to develop interim ONTARIO 2025 and 2030 targets, and look at Photo: ABB any additional mandatory measures that may be needed. Canada is also partnering with auto manufacturers, which are re-tooling to produce zero-emission vehicles in Canada.

PRODUCTION ACCELERATED FOR BRIGHTDROP EV600

Photo: GM Canada

Visit plant.ca/ news for more industry news and events.

General Motors will end production of the Chevrolet Equinox at its CAMI Assembly plant in April 2022. The Ingersoll, Ontario plant will now have an accelerated timetable for converting, and will be able to double the units of the BrightDrop EV600 light commercial vehicle built in its first year of production. EV600 production will move to CAMI in November 2022 following plant retooling. CAMI BrightDrop production will go to two shifts in 2023

ABB installed the traction power substation of the Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, in collaboration with CYMI, a Grupo ACS company specializing in rail electrification systems. Finch West LRT project will lower noise pollution, traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption and reduce passenger travel time. According to CodeRedTO, riders will save over 1/3 in travel time, in just 28 minutes with no transfer, from Humber College to Keele. The LRT line is owned by Metrolinx. Spanning over 11 kilometres of track, it is set to be completed by 2023, and will move close to 46,000 passengers on weekdays. It will include 16 surface stops, an underground interchange station, and a maintenance and storage facility for the light rail vehicles. PLANT.CA

NEWS GOVERNMENT

The simulator will allow Coast Guard helicopter pilots to train for difficult flight conditions experienced, such as inclement weather, missions on top of a mountain, sling load operations, Arctic operations, and search and rescue. The simulator will be based at the Transport Canada Training Centre at the Ottawa International Airport.

FEDDEV ONTARIO INVESTS IN WATERLOOBASED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CONSORTIUM

The Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing (MSAM) Lab, housed at the University of Waterloo, will establish the Additive Manufacturing Alliance (AMA), with a FedDev Ontario investment of $8.2 million. Providing access to the MSAM’s specialized metal 3D printing equipment and expertise, the AMA will help companies move their technologies from prototype to production-ready. The project will support over 90 businesses to commercialize nearly 30 advanced manufacturing technologies, create and maintain over 275 jobs and provide training and outreach opportunities for approximately 1,500 students, research associates and industry personnel. It will expand

Photo: Canadian Coast Guard

MSAM’s geographical reach, with welcomed the delivery and new participating companies from acceptance of a new full-flight across Southwestern Ontario. helicopter simulator. Designed and built by CAE AVIATION Inc. in Montreal, Quebec, the helicopter simulator will be the main CANADIAN COAST training tool for Coast Guard helicopter pilots. Equipped with a GUARD ANNOUNCES roll-on/roll-off cockpit conversion ACCEPTANCE HELICOPTER SIMULATOR system, the simulator is equipped Minister of Fisheries, Oceans to provide training on Coast and the Canadian Coast Guard, Guard’s two different helicopter and Mario Pelletier, Commis- types, making it a first of its kind sioner, Canadian Coast Guard, in North America.

JET IT AND JETCLUB MOVE FORWARD WITH ELECTRIC AIRPLANES

Jet It and JetClub have entered an agreement to launch the all electric, twin turboprop aircraft, eFlyer 800, for Bye Aerospace. Jet It and JetClub, North Carolina-based sister companies, have signed a purchase agreement for a fleet of eFlyer 800 and four eFlyer 4 aircraft. Slated to be in operation by 2025, the eFlyer seats up to seven passengers and one or two pilots, and boasts cruise speeds of 320 knots, and a ceiling of 35,000 feet.

DON’T GET BOXED IN

Creform ® carts present parts efficiently without boxes or dunnage. Delivering parts to the shop floor without packaging keeps your associates assembling. A special-purpose Creform cart handles parts safely and presents them for easy access. Eliminating the lineside packaging saves valuable time and space. At the station Creform carts will get you the parts you really need, when you really need them.

PRODUCT CARTS

COMPARTMENT CARTS CRE-473 8x5.375.indd 1

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2/5/19 2:25 PM

July/August 2021 / Plant 7

2019-02-07 11:54 AM

SALARY SURVEY

SPONSORED BY

Cautious optimism When Plant magazine and Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) ran their salary survey in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was just starting to take hold across the world. It was something many have never experienced, and most were figuring out what will happen and how to adapt, on the fly. Flash forward to 2021, and COVID-19 protocols remain in place across the manufacturing industry. However, there has been market improvement, as the manufacturing sector is leading Canada out of it’s recession. The pandemic was still on everyone’s minds when we sent out the call to action for the 2021 EMC-PLANT Manufacturing Salary Survey, from March to May, which marks the 20th year of running the survey. The survey was jointly conducted by EMC, Canada’s largest manufacturing consortium, and Plant magazine, part of Annex Business Media. In all, 658 8

Plant / July/August 2021

company executives and senior management level personnel participated in the survey, with 537 of those completing the entire survey.

COVID-19’s IMPACT

In 2020, many companies had to make difficult decisions about operations, including, but not limited to, cutting shifts, laying off employees, temporarily or permanently closing their doors.This year, a larger portion of respondents moved to a new organization (seven per cent), while only three per cent of respondents said they were laid off from the organization they worked for (two per cent company closed down, and one per cent laid off). Looking deeper, 18 per cent of respondents said that their employment status change was a result of COVID-19. 45 per cent said they had no change in employment status, 34 per cent said their employment status change was not as result of COVID-19, and three per cent were not sure.

However, when asked if COVID-19 affected their compensation, almost one quarter (23 per cent) said it had a negative impact, with only nine per cent saying it had a positive impact, COVID-19 and 68 per cent having no impact. EFFECT ON “Employment impacts of COVID-19 COMPENSATION on the manufacturers has been sector Replies 530 wide. Nationally, EMC Industry Pulse surveys conducted April 2020 through June 2021 noted initial immediate impacts on workforce levels, correlating with customer sales and system disrupYes, tions (shutdowns). Once manufacturpositively ing was acknowledged as an essential 9% sector, initial shutdowns and layoffs started to reverse and much work was done to enable industry to adapt workspaces to enable workers to return. This was also noted with StatsCan Yes, data,” said Scott McNeil-Smith, Vice negatively President, Manufacturing Sector Per23% formance, EMC. “Total employment in manufacturing dropped from 1.7 million to 1.4 million; however, as of May 2021, it returned to 1.744 million. Comparing April 2020 to April 2021, manufacturing employment was actuNo 68% ally plus 21.3 per cent year-over-year.

PLANT.CA

Photo: metamorworks/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

Executive salaries continue to increase, as impact of COVID-19 begins to wane. BY MARIO CYWINSKI

Even with all the uncertainty around COVID-19, the average salary for 2021 is $129,685, which is a 4.8 per cent increase, year-over-year.

DEMOGRAPHICS AGE

WHAT IS YOUR HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION?

Replies 427 • Average age 53.7 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65

<25

<1%

12% 29% 42%

>65

Replies 429

High school or less

Two per cent or less represents a small sample and should be considered with caution.

15%

University degree

CEGEP

45%

Trade/ technical diploma

College diploma

21%

15%

EMPLOYEES

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE IN YOUR COMPANY? Replies 536

Management role only

69%

Controlling ownership and management role

14%

Equal partnership stake and management role 5% Minority ownership and management role

Other

Replies 429 • Average 431.3 <50

No answer

44%

35%

Replies 538 • Average $146.9M

5,000>

50-24

250-499

REVENUES

500-999

@PLANT_Magazine

1,000-4,999

/plant-magazine

$1M-<$5M 17%

$5M-<$10M 11%

$10M-<$30M 18%

$30M-<$50M 9%

$50M-<$100M 9%

$100M-$250M 4%

$250M-<$500M 2%

$500M-<$1B 2%

$1B plus 4%

Did not answer 23%

July/August 2021 / Plant 9

SALARY SURVEY

SPONSORED BY Not every industry sector has seen such increases, however return to pre-COVID levels of production appears to be fairly sector-wide.”

MANAGEMENT ISSUES MOST SIGNIFICANT ISSUES Total 535

Skills shortage 55% Cost control 50% Capacity utilization 31% Resource/asset management 24% Technology upgrade 22% Forecasting 21% Supplier relationship management 21% Reorganization 19% 17% Risk management 16% IT issues 13% Transportation Environment/Corporate Social Responsibility 11% Outsourcing 11% Cybersecurity 10% Financing for working capital 9% 9% Overseas sourcing Global market expansion 8% Other 6%

WHAT COMPANIES PAY FOR

61%

Educational courses

52%

Membership in professional associations

48%

Professional certification programs

25%

None of these

Replies 532

Replies - 461

57%

Productivity/ Continuous improvement (lean etc.)

Communication

47%

Project management

29%

Interpersonal/ Problem Solving

38%

Analysis

29%

26%

Financial (budgeting, accounting)

Sales skills

23%

26%

PAY PERKS Replies 468

Performance or other bonus

40% Pension

21%

Training, executive development

18% 10 Plant / July/August 2021

Industry specific technical skills

38%

Planning (forecasting, demand)

27%

36%

Negotiation skills

The manufacturing industry, is getting older, with the average years in the industry now at 25.9 years, up from 25.6 in 2020, and 25.4 in 2019. A majority (55 per cent) of respondents have been in the industry for over 25 years, with another 30 per cent at 10 to 25 years, and only 10 per cent with less than 10 years’ experience. Looking at how long respondents have been in their current jobs, the average time is 12.9 years, up from 12.6 in 2020, and 12 in 2019. In all, 44 per cent have been in their current jobs for less than 10 years, with 36 per cent 10 to 25 years, and 12 per cent over 25 years. In what seems like it’s against the grain, years with the current company have actually decreased, for an average of 16.4 years, down from 16.6 the past two years. Years with the current company breaks down to 38 per cent (10 to 25), 33 per cent (less than 10), and 23 per cent (over 25).

CHANGES NEXT FIVE YEARS

MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS

Management/ Supervisory

EXPERIENCE/SKILLS

Replies 453

Technical skills (software, programming)

22%

RSP contributions

36%

Wellness program

11%

Car/gas allowance

30%

Access to private healthcare

Investing in new production equipment/processes

57%

Hiring new employees

54%

Added/entering new lines of business

34%

Expanding plant size

30%

Enter new lines of business

23%

Enter new geographic markets

20%

Acquiring other companies or lines of business

17%

Merging with another company

13%

Downsizing employees

Downsizing lines of business

Closing of company

Downsizing plant size

Flex hours

28%

Stock options

Travel expenses

Profit sharing

Club memberships

Other

28%

Company vehicle

23%

26% 3%

No additional benefits to salary

17%

PLANT.CA

“Many industries are looking to technology adoption, digitalization, upgrades and other investments to assuage some of the shortfall, as well as reskilling and upskilling their workforce to better tackle higher levels of productivity in demand. Based on our LMI data and focus groups with manufacturers across the country, EMC estimates the industry will need to grow the sector workforce supply by up to 30 per cent (plus the technology additions) to meet future demands on productivity… between now and 2030,” said Jean-Pierre Giroux, President, EMC. That said, the survey found that the top skills that senior managers feel they need more training in are: financial including budgeting and accounting (29 per cent), technical including software and programming (26 per cent), people including interpersonal, relationship, management (25 per cent), industry specific technical skills (23 per cent), and productivity/continuous improvement (23 per cent). Comparing this to the top three skills respondents feel are needed in a job today (management/supervisory at 57 per cent, communication at 47 per cent, and interpersonal/problem solving at 38 per cent), and we can see that what many believe they need more training in are not always the skills that are at the top of the list for what they need to do the job. Combining the skills gap with the fact that the manufacturing sector has so many different organization types, including: fabricated metal product (17 per cent), misc. manufacturing (nine per cent), plastics and rubber products (seven per cent), wood product (six per cent), food manufacturing (four per cent), paper manufacturing (four per cent), machinery (four per cent), electrical equipment (four per cent), and many others that are at three per cent or less of the overall. “Some of the causal reasons are the perception of what manufacturing employment entails (not realizing there are over 80 different occupations in the sector), as well as what the paths to a successful career looks like for youth, women, Indigenous, newcomers, persons with disabilities and racialized communities. Providing opportunities and support to these communities/groups is helping to expand that workforce audience and provide opportunities,” said Giroux.

SALARIES INCH HIGHER

When Plant/EMC conducted the survey in 2020, the average national salary was $123,422, with some provinces being higher, and some lower. With all the uncertainty around COVID-19 in the time since, the average salary for 2021 is $129,685, which is a 4.8 per cent increase, year-over-year. If we use what this year’s respondents said they earned in 2020 ($125,452), that is still a 3.3 per cent increase, which is above the traditional rate of inflation. @PLANT_Magazine

/plant-magazine

SALARY COMPARISONS BONUSES AND INCENTIVES

GENDER

Replies 452 • No response from 3.5%

Replies 452

Male $137,779 (76 %) Female $85,112 (13 %)

44%

0% $103,907

11 → 15% $145,044

1 → 3% $104,590

16 → 20% $162,172

4 → 5% $109,813

19%

20+% $206,139

14%

6 → 10% $126,619

JOB TITLE Replies: 452 JOB TITLE

2021

2020

2019

Administrative Management

$107,823

$105,947

$109,047

11%

Maintenance Manager

$127,645

$121,680

$116,720

CEO/ President

$166,824

$159,586

$171,371

Plant Engineering

$118,326

$121,789

$119,187

Materials Manager

$82,000

$84,000

$81,000

Owner/ partner

$141,435

$131,095

$135,245

11%

Director

$153,769

$149,278

$135,645

10%

Design Engineering

$108,392

$105,492

$106,825

Quality Assurance Manager

$93,165

$91,363

$87,960

Vicepresident

$191,617

$194,127

$169,107

Technician/ Technologist

$89,330

$87,380

$86,904

Safety manager

$93,286

$94,143

$93,571

Plant Manager

$147,064

$141,587

$133,658

10%

Purchasing/ Supply Manager

$96,527

$95,832

$93,386

Production/ Operations Manager

$106,107

$98,913

$100,593

12%

Logistics Manager

$117,500

$110,500

$101,000

Average

$129,685

$125,452

$123,204

No response from 1%. Two percent or less represents a small sample and should be considered with caution.

REVENUE Replies: 452 REVENUE

2021

2020

2019

$1M → <$5M

$88,017

$87,153

$92,798

20%

$5M → <$10M

$132,325

$126,392

$120,067

13%

$10M → <$30M

$130,014

$126,346

$126,273

20%

$30M → <$50M

$135,820

$131,240

$127,877

10%

$50M → <$100M

$164,443

$166,549

$152,891

10%

$100M → <$250M

$186,327

$178,655

$161,595

$250M → <$500M

$127,906

$125,352

$116,133

$500M → < $1B

$173,892

$163,738

$157,408

$1B plus

$151,326

$142,221

$142,474

Did not Answer

$118,774

$108,984

$113,056

12%

No response from 12%. Two percent or less represents a small sample and should be considered with caution.

July/August 2021 / Plant 11

SALARY SURVEY

SPONSORED BY Looking at only 2021 responses, increases are seen across almost every statistical category. All education levels, apart from high school or less, saw an increase, both genders saw an increase, all provinces apart from Manitoba increased, all age groups, and all levels of job experience, apart from one to four years, went up. In turn, while most job titles saw an increase, a handful did have a slight decrease. According to EMC’s ManufacturingGPS, the percentage of wage increase for all occupations in the manufacturing sector for 2020-21 (September 2020 to March 2021) was:

SALARY COMPARISONS INDUSTRY Replies: 452 INDUSTRY

2021

2020

2019

% replies

Aerospace product and parts

$118,075

$106,575

$107,218

Chemical

$130,362

$120,162

$120,408

Computer and electronic product

$141,889

$129,333

$118,111

Durable goods industries

$118,486

$116,043

$108,643

Electrical equipment, appliance and component

$133,396

$128,548

$121,778

Environmental

$134,625

$118,450

$116,550

Fabricated metal product

$119,713

$116,596

$117,411

20%

Food manufacturing

$165,617

$167,344

$160,225

Furniture and related product

$105,000

$95,000

$86,875

Machinery

$109,195

$109,276

$109,402

Miscellaneous manufacturing

$131,421

$127,021

$126,248

10%

Motor vehicle

$146,167

$142,778

$137,778

Motor vehicle parts

$157,291

$156,455

$142,059

Non-durable goods industries

$120,333

$120,667

$110,967

Paper manufacturing

$130,026

$124,673

$125,917

Petroleum and coal product

$146,556

$152,667

$174,111

Plastics and rubber products

$138,809

$144,791

$128,374

Primary metal

$197,000

$194,600

$185,700

Printing and related support activities

$112,273

$110,607

$118,773

Transportation equipment

$166,000

$148,167

$133,167

Wood product

$134,653

$122,827

$116,210

• • • • •

It seems that the majority of respondents see that salaries are on the rise, as 72 per cent believe that over the next three years their salary will increase, with 35 per cent seeing a one to three per cent increase, 19 per cent a three to five per cent increase, 10 per cent a five to 10 per cent increase, and seven per cent seeing an increase over 10 per cent. On the flip side, 26 per cent don’t see any change to their salary in the next three years, and three per cent think their salary will decrease. While a competitive salary and job security are two of the main aspects of job satisfaction, it is not a be all and end all. Survey respondents rated a healthy work/ life balance as the most important aspect of job satisfaction again this year (at 98 per cent), followed by competitive salary (96 per cent), vacation time (93 per cent), comprehensive benefits package (92 per cent), job security (90 per cent), and support for career/professional development (84 per cent). Those aspects are what employees want; to have the highest job satisfaction. However, how does it work out in practice? When asked how satisfied respondents were with different aspects of their job,

Industries with less than one per cent responses, not listed.

EDUCATION Replies: 452

EDUCATION

2021

2020

2019

University degree

$148,000

$143,813

$140,015

41%

CEGEP

$108,500

$103,000

$101,813

College diploma

$117,577

$114,937

$111,448

19%

Trade/technical diploma

$122,726

$115,882

$120,259

13%

High school or less

$104,710

$105,762

$98,379

14%

No response from nine per cent.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

AGE

Replies: 452

25 per cent - no change 25 per cent - 1 to 1.9 per cent increase 28 per cent - 2 to 2.9 per cent increase 9 per cent - 3 to 3.9 per cent increase 13 per cent - over four per cent increase

Replies: 452

EDUCATION

2021

2020

2019

AGE

2021

2020

2019

1 to 4

$93,232

$94,157

$91,064

Under 25

$66,000

<1%

5 to 9

$104,263

$99,627

$98,100

26 - 35

$92,277

$86,150

$81,653

10 to 14

$104,894

$94,939

$92,103

36 - 45

$125,344

$118,826

$118,009

11%

15 to 19

$121,903

$114,532

$120,666

46 - 55

$130,056

$125,998

$121,975

26%

20 to 24

$118,793

$117,263

$111,516

13%

56 - 65

$138,314

$136,517

$133,444

39%

25 to 35

$147,777

$141,216

$138,635

36%

Over 65

$129,737

$125,651

$125,424

36+

$138,047

$137,556

$132,750

21%

36+

$138,047

$137,556

$132,750

21%

No response from two per cent. Two percent or less represents a small sample and should be considered with caution. 12 Plant / July/August 2021

No response from 10 per cent. Two per cent or less represents a small sample and should be considered with caution. PLANT.CA

we found that while the numbers were high, there was still some room for improvement. Overall job satisfaction was high (91 per cent), as was job security (90 per cent), vacation time (87 per cent), compensation (85 per cent), benefits (81 per cent), and support received for career/professional development (76 per cent). Interestingly, the most important aspect of job satisfaction, a healthy work/life balance, had only 81 per cent of respondents satisfied.

COMPANY PERSPECTIVE

While salaries are slightly higher, and the majority of respondents reporting that their employment status has not changed as a result of COVID-19, the picture for companies is a little more complicated. Many had indicated additional responsibilities and work load as a result of COVID-19. When asked if their company’s revenue has increased, decreased, or stayed the same compared to last year, 35 per cent said it has decreased, 18 per cent said it stayed the same, and under half (47 per cent) saying it has increased. However, when asked how the revenues looked compared to 2018 or 2017, 55 and 57 per cent of respondents, respectively, said that revenues have increased. Therefore, while this year things aren’t as rosy compared to two or three years ago, manufacturing employment is 5.6 per cent ahead, yearover-year, and sales are at their highest levels since June 2019, with 43.4 per cent increase over May 2020. With a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel visible, many companies have redefined what their normal looks like. When

asked what are some of the most significant issues that their company will face in the coming year, many of the usual suspects were at the top of the list. They included; skill shortage (55 per cent), cost control (50 per cent), capacity utilization (31 per cent), resource/asset management (24 per cent), technology update (22 per cent), forecasting (21 per cent), supplier relationship management (21 per cent), and down from there. Respondents seemed to have a positive outlook for what their companies will need to change in the next five years. With investing, hiring adding, expanding, acquiring, and entering new business, as some of the top changes coming. Specifically, investing in new production equipment/processes was on top with 57 per cent, hiring new employees (54 per cent), expending plant size (30 per cent), entering new geographic markets (20 per cent), and combined adding or entering new lines of business was at 45 per cent. “In general there are three areas requiring investment, in balance with business objectives and operational maturity: people (workforce investments such as engagement, recruiting, onboarding, upskilling and reskilling, culture, leadership); plant (physical equipment maintenance and upgrades, technology adoption, cost control, building envelope, decarbonization/footprint); and process (continuous improvement, process maturity, process automation, advanced manufacturing processes (digitalization), industry 4.0 and AI),” said Giroux. “Investing in these three areas are critical to manufacturing success.”

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Research Methodology Research was conducted online between March and May 2021 among 658 Canadian Manufacturing leaders in partnership with Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium. Results were prepared by the Canadian research firm RKI www.rkinsight.com.

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Mario Cywinski is the Editor of Plant magazine, Machinery and Equipment MRO magazine and Food and Beverage magazine, a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, and a judge for Canadian Truck King Challenge. He has over 13 years of editorial experience; over three years of maintenance, reliability, and operations experience; over 16 years of automobile industry experience, as well as small business industry experience. @PLANT_Magazine

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July/August 2021 / Plant 13 2021-07-20 AM 2019-01-16 11:02 2021-05-31 10:01 1:46 PM

SALARY SURVEY

SPONSORED BY

SALARY SURVEY – EMC’s TAKE Plant Magazine sat down with Jean-Pierre Giroux, President, and Scott McNeilSmith, Vice-President, Manufacturing Sector Performance, from survey partner Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC), to get their take on the manufacturing industry and the salary survey results. BY MARIO CYWINSKI PLANT: Can you comment to on how COVID-19 has affected employment and compensation in the manufacturing space.

PLANT: The average years of experience and average age of survey respondents continues to go up (25.9 years this year). Do you attribute this to an aging work force?

EMC: Yes – and this survey represents management respondents. As a sector-wide issue, one of the critical factors affecting 16 Plant / July/August 2021

PLANT: The percentage of females in the industry is on the rise. What do you attribute this to, and how can it keep going?

manufacturing from a skills and labour shortage, vacancy and productivity/capacity perspective, is the aging workforce. EMC’s most recent ManufacturingGPS Employer Labour Market studies show that 1/5 of the manufacturing workforce in Canada is eligible to retire in the next 10 years. Replacing 20 per cent of the workforce with equally skilled and experienced talent will be a monumental challenge. On top of this, manufacturing is currently operating at 80.1 per cent capacity utilization, with over 52,000 published jobs currently vacant and over 200,000 industry jobs that have gone unfilled in the past two years.

PLANT: Skill shortage is again the most significant issue facing companies. What do you attribute this to?

EMC: Two simple answers: 1) Shortage of skills/skillsets in demand by manufacturers; and 2) Shortage of available workers with any skillset, ready and willing to fill vacancies. However, both require more complex and customized solutions, which EMC is working extensively to solve.

First, EMC has developed and deployed industry-driven skills training programs, including certification and micro-credential training (the most comprehensive suite of industry-vetted learning available to manufacturers). This is currently being deployed – some of which is supported by federal or provincial funding to offset manufacturing costs. EMC’s hybrid approach to upskilling and reskilling (customized learning deployed via custom methods – in-class or online, or asynchronous (self-directed)) or professional-instructor delivered, analog and digital, all supported by workplace action/performance projects. EMC has trained tens of thousands of manufacturing workers, with industry recognized credentials, certifications and skills in hundreds of topic areas. Second, EMC is one of the national sector leaders in assisting manufacturers with connecting to job-ready candidates, through our program called WILWorks, which is providing connections between industry employers and post-secondary students. This provides job placements

EMC: As opportunities continue to be presented, we will see a continued rise in all under-represented demographics to closely match the population more. The perception of industry employment is changing, and as the message spreads, the interest in women and other groups will continue to grow. Removing the negative perceptions at a younger age (engaging and raising manufacturing awareness at a younger age), providing skills and experiential opportunities in trades, science, technology, engineering and math fields, and workplace exposure has helped move this. According to EMC’s ManufacturingGPS, the percentage of women in manufacturing workforce was 26 per cent in 2017 and 27 per cent in 2020-21, based on 1.7 million employees, which is an increase of about 18,000 women. Mario Cywinski is the Editor of Plant magazine, Machinery and Equipment MRO magazine and Food and Beverage magazine, a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, and a judge for Canadian Truck King Challenge. He has over 13 years of editorial experience; over three years of maintenance, reliability, and operations experience; over 16 years of automobile industry experience, as well as small business industry experience. PLANT.CA

EMC: As the traditional plant management issues were still present in their businesses (skills shortages, cost control, capacity utilization, resource management and technology upgrades), strategies for managing recovery while addressing these issues were/are paramount. In many cases, manufacturers found themselves competing for limited workers willing to return to work, as well as attracting and re-engaging workers who were furloughed and/or on emergency COVID-19 benefits.While a vital resource that was essential to the Canadian economy, many opted to remain on benefits rather than return to work – compounding the skills and labour shortages. Compensation, as a result, is a key part of the strategy for recruiting and maintaining workforce levels. At the management level – especially senior management – wage levels weren’t as much of an issue as the workload, expectations and other demands on management to ‘pick-up the slack’ and fill the gaps left by vacancies (whether COVID-19 related or not), and in many cases while having to work from home periodically, during provincial orders.

with work integrated learning. We are also piloting a high school version of this program, as well as connecting industry employment and career-path opportunities to work-ready graduates and displaced workers.

EMPLOYMENT FEATURE

Can’t find top talent? Take a look in the mirror

The hiring process nowadays is different than what it used to be years ago, but attracting and retaining employees comes down to using the same strategies used to sell to customers. BY SHAWN CASEMORE Recalling being offered my first full-time job. It was working at Magna. I was so excited to receive the call to offer me the job, particularly after so many other people had applied. The salary and benefits were all good, but I was just as excited for the opportunity to move into fulltime employment after spending the majority of my life in school and working part-time jobs. Fast-forward to today. The job market is a much different place. Opportunities seem endless while talent seems scarce. Even McDonald’s is struggling to compete, with a shift manager receiving somewhere in the neighbourhood of $17 per hour. This isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Recent studies suggest that the Canadian economy is about 80 per cent of the way back to pre-pandemic levels from an economic standpoint. Moreover, the fact that the pandemic was essentially a forced recession means the rebound is going to be strong. Herein lies the challenge. If you are already struggling to find and retain talent, the market is only going to get tighter. Unlike my first job so many years ago, today’s employees are very sensitive to every aspect of a job offer, because there are so many to choose from, and the transparency in online information allows them to research and compare before they even get to the interview stage. You might argue that wages are always a factor to consider, and that would be true. As are benefits, flexible time, vacation and the current leadership who set the goals, values and work environment. @PLANT_Magazine

/plant-magazine

However, what really attracts and retains an employee comes down to using the very same strategies you use to sell a customer. Attraction: Why should the employee work for you? Solution: What will you provide them if they do come to work for you? Retention: How will you ensure you deliver on what you promised?

These aren’t questions you can or should answer yourself. Instead, tap into your existing, past and potential employees to gain insights that will inform your actions. If you’re having trouble attracting new hires, then there is something wrong with how your company appears from afar. Ask potential employees the following questions:

Recent studies suggest that the Canadian economy is about 80 per cent of the way back to pre-pandemic levels from an economic standpoint. Moreover, the fact that the pandemic was essentially a forced recession means the rebound is going to be strong.

• Does our website represent a company you’d want to work for? • Are there comments you’ve found on sites like glassdoor. com that are concerning you? • What have you heard from other’s about working here?

If you don’t have a hiring problem, but you can’t seem to keep an employee, then there’s something wrong with the employee’s If you can attract applicants, experience. Ask existing employees or but they don’t accept your job offer, then there’s something those who leave, the following questions: wrong with the offer itself. Ask potential employees who turned down your offer the fol- • What was it that made you lowing questions: want to quit? • How supportive was our leadership? Is there something • Was there something that you’d recommend we change was said (or missed) in the interview? or improve? • Did our offer meet with your • Was your career path with us expectations? If not, why? clear? What else is missing? • Have you had other more attractive offers? What made If this seems like it’s too labour them more attractive? intensive, feel free to ignore.

However, as you read this, your employees are receiving inquiries on LinkedIn, by email and even by text for job opportunities. Take a closer look at each of these three areas to identify where your most significant challenges lie. Then begin asking existing employees, past employees and new applicants what changes or improvements they’d like to see. There’s no shorter path to fixing your talent gap, then by making the changes your candidates and new employees want to see. Shawn Casemore helps companies accelerate their growth. To learn more, visit his web site at www.shawncasemore.com. July/August 2021 / Plant 17

BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS

FEATURE

How an industrial manufacturer wrote the next chapter of its 100-year plan Two DuroVac presidents discuss the importance of financial stability and succession planning as an early necessity for every business. With a lineup of industrial vacuum systems known for durability and reliability, DuroVac understands longevity better than anyone. Founder Kevin Weaver and President AnhTai Vuong are working to build a company that lasts 100 years or more.That’s a lofty goal for a family-run business, but with a strategic approach, the duo ensures their shared vision for DuroVac has real staying power. The vision is especially important as Weaver prepares for retirement, scaling back his role in the company he started over 18 years ago, while Vuong takes the reins as his successor. Their gradual leadership transition has been steered by purposeful planning and execution over several years. They still have 80 years to reach their ultimate goal, but here’s how they’ve successfully managed it so far:

Building from the ground up

Like many entrepreneurs, when he first started his company, Weaver did practically everything himself. He scrubbed floors, built walls, and installed cables at DuroVac’s first office in Mississauga, Ont. After working for DuroVac as an outside sales representative for two years, Vuong was the fourth employee to join the company full-time. As their reputation grew and Vuong settled into his role, he doubled the company’s sales in his first year alone. Even at that early stage, the notion of succession planning was on their minds. They both read Michael E. Gerber’s bestselling book The E-Myth Revisited:Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. Guided by the book’s principles, Weaver designed DuroVac as an integrated system that would one day be able to function without him. “If you don’t design your business properly, you’ll have nothing left by the end,” said Weaver. “You need to put systems in place so your business can run without you. Only then can you say this is a company and not a glorified job.” A key objective for Weaver was to gradually 18 Plant / July/August 2021

“If you don’t design your business properly, you’ll have nothing left by the end,” said Weaver. “You need to put systems in place so your business can run without you. Only then can you say this is a company and not a glorified job.” hire people who could take over all the tasks he was previously doing himself. “I’ve created systems and hired people in order to eventually work myself out of a job,” said Weaver. “As long as I give them the autonomy to do their job — which is important — then I don’t have to do it. I’m the opposite of a micromanager.”

A sturdy financial foundation

A crucial aspect of futureproofing the business was to build a strong, fiscally conscious foundation. At the time,Weaver was partnered with his father-in-law, whose background in accounting helped to tightly manage finances in his capacity as Chief Financial Officer. “There was no razzmatazz at first — no art deco office, no fancy cars, and flying coach was a must,” said Vuong. “I tip my hat to Kevin and our CFO for crafting a very financially responsible company.” With the financial base they need to build a bright future, DuroVac can deliver on promises it makes to its customers, sustain a skilled and loyal team of people, and make time for a solid succession plan.

The promises

DuroVac’s service revolves around a brand promise, which is all about rejecting planned obsolescence and making customers happy. The brand essentially wants customers to be content with their purchase by saving them money, maintenance time and hassle. Sometimes that means troubleshooting issues post-purchase.

“Customer retention and loyalty comes from quickly finding the root cause of the issue and fixing it at no cost to the customer,” said Vuong. “In order to do so, we need to be financially stable, because repairs can sometimes [be very costly].” Financial stability helps the DuroVac team respond to problems and uphold their promises as a brand. It also helps them anticipate issues at the design phase and build stronger machines. “Adapting our solutions to the market needs of our customers has helped define our identity over the years,” said Vuong. “If someone sees an issue, it was always in our early DNA to react quickly to fix it for that customer and also down the line for future products.”

The people

“If we were not financially sound, we would not have been able to hire the army of people who supported us throughout,” said Vuong. The right people in the right roles help DuroVac uphold its brand promises. To that end, employees are expected to uphold values of family, honour, respect, passion, discipline and decency in their work. To inspire loyalty in the team, DuroVac works hard to maintain its culture. One of Weaver’s career highlights is the fact that, in over 18 years of business, only one employee has ever resigned from their position — and that was because they were moving to another province. “Our core values are founded around family, because we are a family-run and family-born business,” said Vuong. “We’re so proud of our core values. It gives people a broader purpose than just clocking in and clocking out.” They put just as much thought and care into the succession planning team, assembling a group of professionals such as lawyers, accountants and executive coaches familiar with the E-Myth approach. “It’s so necessary to equip yourself with a team. Legal and fiscal notions don’t come naturally to all, and the coach helped us go PLANT.CA

DuroVac staff together in one of their warehouses.

through the emotional side of the transition,” said Vuong. He adds that it was important for him and Weaver to put together a team of professionals from firms that were comparable in size to DuroVac, “We had a natural understanding of each other.”

Photo: DuroVac

The plan

As Vuong prepared to take the reins from Weaver, the E-Myth approach was an invaluable roadmap to their transition. “We both read the book at different stages of our career, but when it came time to transition, we converged towards its philosophies,” said Vuong. One of the core concepts of the E-Myth book is about the “primary aims” of the entrepreneur: what the person truly wants out of life and how that transcends the business. For Vuong, the primary aim was family. “Once we established that our purposes in life go way beyond work and the business, we started to see the absolute need to work ourselves out of the business,” he said. @PLANT_Magazine

/plant-magazine

After strengthening that understanding of their life’s purposes,Weaver and Vuong used a time management module to schedule time away from their everyday duties and habits so that, with the help of their coaches, they could envision a viable future. They had initially identified smaller, more manageable five-and-ten-year goals for their succession plan, but the executive coach prompted them to think bigger.This process helped them realize their ultimate vision: a company built to last 100 years. “If IBM can do it, why can’t we?” said Weaver. “Even if we’re not around as individuals 100 years from now, the idea is to position our systems, equipment, brand, brains, people and management in such a way that DuroVac becomes a self-sustaining entity.”

Looking forward to a bright future

Weaver admits that when he first started his business, succession wasn’t on his mind. “When you’re first getting started, all you can think about is survival,” he said.

But as the business grew, Weaver recognized the need to find and train his future replacement. “I hired Anh-Tai as a fresh 25-year-old and molded him,” said Weaver, who worked with Vuong for over 13 years and attended his wedding. “I recognized that Anh-Tai needed growth and I needed a method for succession. Now I’ve brought him on board, and it will be his path to find and mentor his replacement.” Weaver advises other business owners to start thinking about their succession as early as possible. “You have to spend 10 years thinking about this,” he said. For Vuong, succession planning has always been a part of a bigger conversation about DuroVac’s future. “We didn’t just start talking about succession,” he said. “We started talking about how we’re going to write the next chapter.” Article provided by DuroVac. July/August 2021 / Plant 19

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EMC Learning Centre is a resource dedicated to the development and sourcing of training, continuous improvement and other skills development solutions for Canadian manufacturers. EMC has trained 10’s of 1000’s of manufacturing employees with high impact learning generating 100’s of millions in improvements, cost savings and economic input opportunities.

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BUSINESS OPERATIONS

FEATURE

Skill acquisition and definition – The Dreyfus Model

The model lists five phases of skill acquisition: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient and expert.There’s obviously a lot to it, since it takes an entire book to describe it, but the gist of it is that skill acquirers move from “dogmatic following of rules and lack of big picture” to “intuitive transcending of rules and complete understanding of big picture.”

When you consider the Dreyfus model, you’ll notice that there is a trend over time from being heavily rules-oriented and having no understanding of the big picture to being extremely intuitive and fully grasping the big picture. 22 Plant / July/August 2021

Michael Eraut summarized the five stages • prioritizes importance of aspects of increasing skill as follows: • “perceives deviations from the normal pattern” 1. Novice • employs maxims for guidance, with meanings that adapt to the situation at hand • “rigid adherence to taught rules or plans” • no exercise of “discretionary judgment” 5. Expert 2. Advanced beginner • transcends reliance on rules, guidelines, • limited “situational perception” and maxims • all aspects of work treated separately with • “intuitive grasp of situations based on equal importance. deep, tacit understanding” • has “vision of what is possible” 3. Competent • uses “analytical approaches” in new situa• “coping with crowdedness” (multiple tions or in case of problems activities, accumulation of information) • some perception of actions in relation to goal Instead, the original Dreyfus model is based • deliberate planning on four binary qualities: • formulates routines • Recollection (non-situational or situational) • Recognition (decomposed or holistic) 4. Proficient • Decision (analytical or intuitive) • holistic view of situation • Awareness (monitoring or absorbed) PLANT.CA

In 1980, a couple of brothers with the last name Dreyfus proposed a model of skill acquisition that has gone on to have a fair bit of influence on discussions about learning, process, and practice. Later, they would go on to publish a book based on this paper and, in that book, they would refine the model a bit to its current form. BY RICHARD KUNST

status and there’s nowhere left to go. They’ve officially become expert beginners, and they’re ready to entrench themselves into some niche in an organization and collect a huge paycheck because no one around them, including them, realizes that they can do a lot better. When you understand the Dryfus model and see it in action, you can understand how organizations struggle and stall in their lean journeys because they feel they have become experts and have nothing left to learn. When in reality they are just expert beginners and just starting. It is all about culture speed of methodology absorption.

All things being equal, one might assume that there is some sort of natural, linear advancement through these phases, like earning belts in karate or money in the corporate world. But in reality, it does not shake out that way, due to both perception and attitude. At the moment, one starts acquiring a skill, one is completely incompetent, which triggers an initial period of frustration and being stymied while waiting for someone, like an instructor, to spoon-feed process steps to the acquirer (or else, as Dreyfus put it, they “like a baby, pick it up by imitation and floundering”). After a relatively short phase of being a complete initiate, however, one reaches a point where the skill acquisition becomes possible as a solo activity via practice, and the renewed and invigorated acquirer begins to improve quite rapidly as he or she picks “low hanging fruit.” Once all that fruit is picked, however, the unsustainably rapid pace of improvement levels off somewhat, and further proficiency becomes relatively difficult from there forward. This is actually the exact path that many teams and organizations follow on lean Initiatives, going from incompetence to some degree of competence. Many rapidly improve to the point of competence and then completely leveled off. In many cases, improvement hit a local maximum and then stopped altogether, as they become too busy to continue on the path as-is or to follow through with retooling. This is an example of what, for the purposes of this post, I will call “arrested development.” In the sense of skills acquisition, one generally realizes arrested development and remains at a static skill level due to one of two reasons: maxing out on aptitude, or some kind willingness to cease meaningful improvement. Let’s discard the first possibility (since most professional organizations or individuals wouldn’t max out at or before bare minimum competence) and consider an interesting, specific instance of the second: voluntarily ceasing to improve “because of a belief that expert status has been reached and thus further improvement is not possible.” This opting into indefinite mediocrity is the entry into an oblique phase in skills acquisition that I will call “expert beginner.” When you consider the Dreyfus model, you’ll notice that there is a trend over time from being heavily rules-oriented and having no understanding of the big picture to being extremely intuitive and fully grasping the big picture. The advanced beginner stage is the last one in which the skill acquirer has no understanding of the big picture. As such, it’s the last phase in which the acquirer might confuse himself with an expert. A competent has too much of a handle on the big picture to confuse himself with an expert: he knows what he doesn’t know. This isn’t true during the advanced beginner phase, since advanced beginners are on the “unskilled” end of the Dunning Kruger effect and tend to epitomize the notion that,“if I don’t understand it,it must be easy.” But what happens when the advanced beginner doesn’t care enough to interact with the broader community and for whatever reason doesn’t have much interaction with peers? The Daily WTH is filled with such examples. They fail even while convinced that the failure is everyone else’s fault, and the nature of the game is such that blaming others is easy and handy to relieve any cognitive dissonance. They conclude that they’ve quickly reached expert @PLANT_Magazine

/plant-magazine

Richard Kunst is an author, speaker and seasoned lean practitioner based in Toronto, who leads a holistic practice to coach, mentor and provide management solutions to help companies implement or accelerate their excellence journeys. You can reach him at www.kunstsolutions.com.

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July/August 2021 / Plant 23 2021-07-13 10:20 AM

WORKPLACE SAFETY

FEATURE

Don’t let safety measures slip: How to prevent slips, trips, and falls at work With over 55,000 workers in Canada injured annually because of fall incidents, workers and managers on the plant floor need to be aware of the risks that come with the job and know how to stay safe. walk at a pace that is suitable for the surface and the tasks they are doing, with their feet pointed slightly outward and make wide turns at corners. Employers can also reduce Take the right steps with risks by installing light sources proper footwear that provide sufficient light for Although it’s the worker who will tasks; providing flashlights for wear the footwear, employers are workers to use if they are enterresponsible for making sure that ing a room with little to no light; personal protective equipment and ensuring that the objects (PPE) requirements are being workers are carrying or pushing followed in the workplace. When do not prevent them from seeing it comes to slips, trips and falls, any obstructions, spills, or other assess your environment and the potential hazards. Because workplace safety is a type of work to understand if In addition to the thou- to slips and trips. It involves footwear contributes to the risks. shared responsibility, employers sands of fall-related cleaning all spills immediately In workplaces where floors and employees need to work injuries that make up and marking spills and wet areas, may be oily or wet or where together to reduce hazards the 20 per cent of time- mopping or sweeping debris workers spend a lot of time out- related to slips, trips, and falls. loss injuries accepted by workers’ from floors, storing equipment doors, selecting proper footwear By implementing these tips and compensation boards or com- properly, and removing obsta- is essential to preventing falls. measures, falls on the same level missions across the country, sta- cles from walkways and always Since there is no anti-slip foot- can become top of mind, and tistics also show that the majority keeping them free of clutter, like wear ideal for every condition, it workers can continue to do their of falls (67 per cent) happen on everyday items such as boots or is recommended to consult with jobs safely. the same level resulting from slips shoes and equipment. manufacturers for the available and trips. The remaining 30 per Always secure mats, rugs options best suited to the workPrevent-the-Trip Tip cent are falls from heights, like and carpets with tape, tacks, so ers’ needs. When assessing PPE like ladders or roofs. they’re flat, and cover cables that footwear for your workers, be Falls on the same level, like slips cross walkways to prevent trips. Keep up the fall prevention sure to consider the following: and trips, happen when there is Brightly coloured tape may be Workplaces can support a safe some unexpected change in the helpful to draw attention to the environment by identifying Is the sole made of appropriate contact between the feet and the potential hazard. You should al- and addressing potential risks anti-slip material for the ground or floor. Spills, a leaking ways make sure that items below through regular workplace flooring or walking conditions? machine, or a change in tempera- eyesight, like file cabinets or stor- inspections. For example, this Is there a risk of the soles ture causing a liquid to freeze are age drawers, are also closed, and could include inspecting the quickly becoming dirty or worn just a few examples of such unex- keep working areas and walkways parking lot, walkways, and other out which reduces the pected changes. To prevent these well lit, making sure that light surfaces, and correcting any hazslip-resistant qualities? changes and the injuries that can bulbs and faulty switches are ards such as potholes and slip Is the shoe secure on the foot happen from them, there are four replaced when necessary. pery or uneven surfaces. It is also (e.g., are laces or a closed factors that should be addressed important to train employees on back required)? the steps they can take to avoid in preventing fall incidents: good Provide sure footing with Is there a need to provide falling at work and making sure housekeeping; quality of walking safe flooring support to heels and ankles to surfaces; proper footwear; and Changing or modifying walking that they are able to take their help reduce twists and sprains? surfaces to provide “sure footing” time and pay attention to where pace of walking. is an important step in preventing they are going. Workers should Good housekeeping is good slips and trips. Recoating or repractice for fall prevention placing floors, or installing mats, The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) in Good housekeeping is the first pressure-sensitive abrasive strips Hamilton contributed this article. CCOHS provides information, training, education, and one of the most important or abrasive-filled paint-on coating management systems and solutions that support health and safety programs and factors in preventing falls due and metal or synthetic decking the prevention of injury and illness in the workplace. Visit www.ccohs.ca. 24 Plant / July/August 2021

PLANT.CA

can further improve safety and reduce the risk of falling. Also, resilient, non-slippery flooring prevents or reduces foot fatigue and can help prevent slips.

TECH CENTRE

PROSENSE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE TRANSMITTERS AutomationDirect’s ProSense DPTW series differential pressure transmitters are precision engineered for accurate differential or gauge pressure measurement of a variety of liquids, gases, and steam applied to both pressure sensing ports. The ProSense DPTW series is up to eight times smaller than a conventional style DP transmitter and is used for industrial, commercial, and OEM process measurement applications, including differential, positive, or negative pressures. The DPTW series can be used to measure hydrostatic liquid level in pressurized or open tanks and flow measurement using primary differential pressure flow elements such as an annular pitot tube, orifice plate, or venturi tube. Seven models are available with various measuring ranges of up to 400 inches of water column, each offering 4-20 mA outputs, 12-32 VDC operating voltage, and ¼-inch female NPT process connection. www.automationdirect.com

CAT 3 HYDROSTATIC INTERNAL COMBUSTION FORKLIFT SERIES

Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas group Cat 3,000 – 7,000 lb. hydrostatic internal combustion (IC) forklift series. The line features a field-proven, EPA emissions-compliant engine and hydrostatic drive system designed to help customers optimize their productivity, provide intuitive control in heavy-duty applications, and reinforce operator comfort and safety. The new Cat lift truck series is designed for heavy-duty applications, such as building materials, @PLANT_Magazine

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NEW PRODUCTS

lumber and manufacturing. At the heart of the lift truck is a hydrostatic drive train that circulates hydraulic fluid to power wheels, allowing for acceleration, directional change and increased uptime. The Cat 3,000 – 7,000 lb. hydrostatic IC lift trucks offer various standard features and custom options for indoor and outdoor operations. Features include: • A fuel-efficient engine lineup • A fully hydrostatic drive system combined with full software integration with the hardware • Low-maintenance wet disc brakes • A spacious operator compartment, intuitive controls and five preset performance modes • Access to major parts and equipment www.logisnextamericas.com

DIFFERENCE/SUM LVDT SIGNAL CONDITIONER

NewTek Sensor Solutions series of Difference/Sum LVDT signal conditioners that improve a sensor’s performance during large temperature variation. By measuring the difference of the output over the sum (S1-S2)/(S1+S2), the NTC-6000-DS Quick-Cal LVDT signal conditioner compensates for changes in resistance in copper windings due to temperature fluctuations. The ratio metric signal conditioner is for use with AC- LVDTs in harsh environments with extreme temperature swings such as aerospace test stands, packaging equipment, factory automation, turbine control systems and steam valve positioning. Users of the NTC-6000-DS LVDT signal conditioner can select between a ratio metric Diff/Sum measurement or differential (standard) measurement. It offers:

• Selectable ratiometric Diff/Sum measurement or differential (standard) measurement • Compatibility with almost any AC-LVDT • Self-diagnostics for sensor failures, disconnects or short circuits • Cybersecurity locks out and tamper detect • Voltage, current and digital • Digital protocols include Modbus, CAN Bus, RS-485 and more • Hot swap reconfiguration where setup is saved and reloaded via the RS-485 port • Intuitive setup for quick configuration by non-technical personnel • Selectable excitation frequency, analog outputs and bandwidth www.newteksensors.com

BINDER USA UPGRADES TO DIE CAST MANUFACTURING

Binder USA’s 712 and 702 series M9 circular connectors will be manufactured using a zinc die casting process. The previous process consisted of a drawn tube pressed into shape. The new method enhances safety and quality features without impacting the way customers use the connectors. Zinc die casting is “ideal for products that require high precision, dimensional strength, and superior durability.” Binder’s M9 subminiature circular connectors are used in applications including: camera systems, sensors, and pneumatic control systems. Features: • binder Series: 712 and 702 • Contacts: 2 to 5 pins • Protection rating: IP67 • 1:1 compatibility with previous M9 IP67 connectors www.binder-usa.com

EASYSWITCH HEPA WET-DRY VAC

Exair’s EasySwitch HEPA Wet-Dry Vac simplifies the filter change process

when switching from vacuuming a dry material to a liquid or vice versa. Utilizing minimal compressed air, the EasySwitch is a pneumatic vacuum for any application – wet, dry, light and heavy. It uses a HEPA certified filtre when vacuuming dry material. The fast and tool-less conversion to vacuuming liquids is done by releasing one latch, removing the filtre element and securing the latch. Simply reinstall the filtre into the lid assembly for dry materials. It rests upon any 55-gallon drum. The EasySwitch vacuum creates does not need electricity (79 decibels). Because the vacuum generator has no moving parts and uses no electricity, there is little concern for failed parts, motor failure or working with liquids associated with electric industrial vacuums. www.exair.com

SINUMERIK ONE DYNAMICS

Siemens launched three technology packages for its Sinumerik One control system. The Sinumerik One Dynamics packages are available in three different variants: One Dynamics Operate, One Dynamics 3-axis milling and One Dynamics 5-axis milling. The software functions contained in each technology package support users from machine-oriented programming in the job shop to machining of CAD-CAM-programmed workpieces. The ONE Dynamics Operate package supports the machine tool user in programming in the machine shop with the proven Sinumerik machining cycles and CNC simulation for milling and turning applications. Users have the option of paperless manufacturing and can visualize 3D CAD data on the shop floor. For the execution of CAM-generated CNC programs for free-form surface machining, One Dynamics three-andfive-axis milling packages offer the Top Surface and Top Speed Plus CNC functions for motion control and workpiece surfaces. new.siemens.com For more new products, visit: www. plant.ca/technology-centre/ July/August 2021 / Plant 25

POSTSCRIPT

BY JAYSON MYERS

hen Paul Martin quit national politics he didn’t step away from the national policy scene or his interest in Indigenous education.The former prime minister founded the Martin Family Initiative (MFI); a charity that works with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation Peoples to improve education, health, and well-being outcomes for Indigenous children, youth, and adults. MFI aims to support Indigenous students as they learn how to create successful careers. Its AboriginalYouth Entrepreneurship Program introduces Indigenous high school students to business opportunities in the Canadian economy. It teaches students how to nurture their entrepreneurial spirit, improve their financial literacy and communication skills, and gives them an opportunity to explore a variety of post-secondary options. Over 5,000 students have completed the program since its inception 11 years ago. Today, the course is being taught at 50 high schools on and off reserve. It is in such high demand that in 2019, MFI, acting on a request from the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs, launched an Indigenous Entrepreneur Course for adults, based on its high school program. Indigenous education programs like these will shape the future for a large number of young people across Canada. While Indigenous peoples account for about five per cent of our national population, Indigenous children under the age of 14 represent seven per cent of all children in the country. Youth represent nearly half of Canada’s Indigenous population. They are the youngest and fastest growing segment of Canada’s population. In Mr. Martin’s view, “If we want Canada to succeed, Indigenous children and youth must succeed…. Their potential is our future.” Real labour shortages exist everywhere across Canada’s manufacturing sector. That’s nothing new, but the results of every industry survey indicate that the situation is getting worse. Skills shortages are aggravated by the deployment of advanced technologies as manufacturers are turning to automation to compensate 26 Plant / July/August 2021

While Indigenous peoples account for about five per cent of our national population, Indigenous children under the age of 14 represent seven per cent of all children in the country. Youth represent nearly half of Canada’s Indigenous population.

Check out what MFI is doing at www.themfi.ca. And, for more information about how to get involved, contact info@ngen.ca.

work well with other people and value diversity and inclusion among their colleagues. Initiative will be highly valued. They should be curious and like to learn new things. Academic skills – reading, writing, financial literacy, communication skills, critical thinking, research and data analysis capabilities, basic computer skills, as well as knowledge of math and science – are important as well, particularly for employees working with advanced technologies. They are skills that can be applied directly for labour shortages. Competition is in manufacturing. Problem solving – that’s where intough today for any company looking to attract employees with the right novation and entrepreneurship come combination of digital skills, practical in. Students who can find innovative, industry experience, and essential more efficient, and more effective ways workplace skills that it takes to operate of doing things will be highly valued whatever their job is. Practical experia modern manufacturing business. That’s why Next Generation Man- ence and demonstrated ability to work ufacturing Canada is partnering with in teams are also gateways to good jobs MFI to develop a manufacturing com- and valuable learning experience.They ponent in its high school and adult In- help to ground knowledge through exdigenous education programs. NGen perience with real problems. Indigenous students also need supsupport will also allow MFI to expand its entrepreneurship and financial port in developing their digital skills and literacy courses into primary schools improving their comfort level working and set up a summer employment pro- with data and data-based technologies. gram for Indigenous youth. Our aim is Through another of its initiatives, NGen to raise awareness among Indigenous is aiming to provide easy low-cost access students about modern manufacturing to cloud-based online coding courses in Canada and the type of jobs that as well as to robotics and IT network exist in the sector, and prepare them simulations for students across Canada. with many of the skills and some of the It’s a good example of how technology practical experience required to take can enable learning and not just be the advantage of future post-secondary object of education. For the first time, and career opportunities. Indigenous students in remote locaNow, it’s difficult to predict the tions will be able to develop digital skills exact types of skills that will be in and participate in robotics competitions demand in five years’ time. Manu- on their own personal devices, wherever facturers always struggle when asked they are, without downloads that eat up that on surveys. However, we do know scarce bandwidth. However, let’s face it. It’s not just about many of the basic competencies that future manufacturing workers will be students and educators. Manufacturers expected to have. They are the very themselves need to be involved. Teachskills that MFI aims to help Indige- ers are crying out for speakers, mentors, nous students develop in its programs. opportunities to visit manufacturing Let’s start with the basics. Building facilities, tools, and information that can self-confidence is key, particularly make their jobs easier. Also, students are among Indigenous students. Other looking for role models and opportunipersonal attributes are also important. ties that will provide them practical work Companies will expect employees opportunities. NGen will be looking for manuto be responsible, dependable, and reliable. They will be looking for facturers who are willing to volunteer individuals with a high degree of in- as speakers, mentors, and part-time tegrity who want to contribute to the employers. We hope you’ll offer your future. Future employees will need to support. PLANT.CA

Help build manufacturing skills and entrepreneurship through indigenous education

WATCH & LEARN

DEMO DAYS is a new manufacturers video portal which will help you learn about new products and services from Canada’s leading manufacturers. DEMO DAYS features dozens of video demonstrations in a variety of categories: Additive Manufacturing, Automation, Cleantech, Cyber Security, Electronics and Electrical, Maintenance, Manufacturing/Production, Material Handling, Packaging and Software. Visit DEMO DAYS and connect with suppliers today.

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