So important is the global marketplace in CAMCO’s future that top decision-makers for the Wheeling-based manufacturing company decided two years ago to develop a strategy that would make it even more competitive by the year 2000.
Officials at this manufacturer of specialized machine parts realized the whole company needed to become more efficient. But because so many members of the plant’s hourly work force lacked language and math skills, that goal would be difficult to reach, officials knew.
Many of the 140 skilled machinists are from Asia, Mexico, Eastern and Western Europe. In all, 92 of the company’s 260 employees speak English as a second language, according to company officials. The hodgepodge of cultures and languages, while rich in diversity and ideas, was slowing the company’s efforts to streamline.
Customers are demanding faster product delivery, but miscommunication between supervisors and workers slows production time. In a world of computer-controlled machinery, understanding complex operation manuals is essential.
CAMCO’s story illustrates how management and workers, with the help of a local community college, have avoided layoffs.
“The type of people we see coming in for retraining mirrors what you see going on in the manufacturing industry,” said Sheila Quirk, director of corporate services for Harper College in Palatine, which designed the educational programs for CAMCO. “The manufacturing industry needs workers (who are) able to perform more than one job function.”
Today, manufacturing firms require 12th-grade proficiency in reading and math as well as specific technical skills, she said. In the past, basic academic skills were not needed because assembly work followed routine production processes; now manufacturing companies are changing their production lines all the time. “Change is so constant that (workers) have to have the basic skills in order to adapt to the changes.”
In the last 10 years, CAMCO has seen rapid advances in technology. With advanced computer-controlled machinery replacing manual equipment, new demands were made on the machinists, including more advanced reading, writing and computing of math problems.
“It became very clear that English as a second language, math and (reading) blueprints would need to be improved,” said Pat Comeau, a senior executive in charge of hiring.
In the manual era, a machinist operated a single machine for his entire shift. Now that the machines are controlled by a computer, an operator could be running four machines, said Tom Scrimo, vice president of manufacturing.
Company officials formed a partnership with Harper, dubbed CAMCO 2000, to offer hourly wage earners free basic skills courses, including English as second language, math and blueprint-reading. The courses are not mandatory, but most of the employees have taken them, Comeau said.
Because delays or mistakes can cost a manufacturing company dearly in lost business, the courses have improved efficiency, company officials said.
“The business has experienced tremendous growth,” said James Lindemann, president of the company. “It’s hard to measure where we would be without CAMCO 2000, but it’s one part of a successful story.”
