Training within industry

This page has been written by Frederik Daniel Olesen S164361

Abstract

Training within industry (TWI) is a method which was developed under world war II. It was the result of a need to quickly mobilize and train a workforce to provide value to industry and thereby society. The method works with four Supervisory Skill Development Modules to ease delivery and ensure results. With any project or program a manager has a variety of needs and TWI recognizes this as well and has developed a list of five needs which encapsulates the need for anyone whose work depend on results from other people – from the first line managers to the executive management controlling a wide portfolio. Another key principle behind the method is the multiplier principle, which certified over 1.7 million supervisors and trainers throughout the United States in its brief five-year existence. The method also includes a number of specific tools from which the strategy of the method can be implemented as intended. Despite the historic origins of the method, TWI is still relevant today and is applied in a variety of industries at different levels. The continuing application of lean practices has also increased the relevancy of the method.

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Motivation

Before we dive into the specifics of TWI, let us consider some of the benefits

Today it is hard to not encounter lean practices when studying any company out there.

Origin and early application

The Training within industry (TWI) is a method which originates from world war II. The main objective behind the method was to help facilitate the many projects and programs which industries in the USA were facing as result of an overall increased demand and a lack of a skill-full workforce. World war II saw a significant part of the existing workforce being deployed abroad while increasing the demand of industries as the USA was the main supplier of the Allied forces. To help the many companies receiving orders exceeding their ability to respond, a network of industrial professionals was made available to all manufacturers of war related products, which essentially is what was named Training Within Industry Service.

The results was very significant. From having a hard time responding to increasing demand, companies who applied the method of TWI were able to increase production, reduce training, save manpower, reduce scrap and reduce grievances. Table shows the results of participating companies from May 1943 to September 1945.

A popular example often described in relation to TWI is that of lens grinding. This was considered a complex craft which took about 5 years to master. By the end of 1945 the time to master this craft had been reduced to six weeks by breaking the process into smaller parts based on the concept of Job Instructions Training.

How it works - theory

The Training Within Industry (TWI) method was developed by defining Four Supervisory Skill Development Modules. The first three of these are what is referred to as the The J Training Programmes and these will be described in detail later. The fourth module is Programme Development which essentially recognized that any organization has unique problems and their employees must be trained to deal with these unique problems. In fact, all of these principles of TWI are so universal that they can be used beyond the initial industrial applications for which they were originally designed for.

The J Training Programmes

Each of the J Training Programmes address one essential skill area for effective supervision. The programmes were all taught in five sessions of two hours each.

Job Instruction Training (JIT)

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Job Relations Training (JRT)

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Job Methods Training (JMT)

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The Five Needs of a Supervisor

• Four Supervisory Skill Development Modules
• The Five Needs of a Supervisor
• Trainer and trainee
• The J Training Programmes
• The Multiplier Principle

From theory to practical application

• Specific tools

Current applications

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• Industry programmes and implementations

Relation to lean practices

• compare to standards

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Annotated bibliography

Singh, Rajinder, and Noela Ballerio. “TWI (Training Within Industry).” Wcom (World Class Operations Management), Springer International Publishing, 2016, pp. 227–44, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-30105-1_20.

Huntzinger, Jim. The Roots of Lean Training Within Industry: The Origin of Japanese Management and Kaizen. 2014.