Implementation of New Hands-on MSSC CPT+ Skill Boss Program
On June 22 at the National Skills USA Competition in Louisville, MSSC CEO Leo Reddy and Amatrol President Paul Perkins announced and demonstrated a new hands-on Certified Production Technician Plus (CPT+) Skill Boss program. This "MSSC Community Alert" provides more detail on the structure and implementation of this program.
Description:
The centerpiece of this new program is a transformational training device, invented by Amatrol that enables MSSC, for the first time, to offer hands-on training and assessment as an enhancement to its signature CPT training and certification system. "Skill Boss" is a computer-controlled machine that performs a wide variety of functions aligned with 55+ hands-on skills from the MSSC's national Production Standards.
As shown in the
Skill Boss brochure
,
it is portable and compact. Together with its associated programmable logic controller (PLC), Skill Boss fits comfortably on a standard 3'x 6' table, and requires 110VAC and compressed air. It is strongly built with industrial grade components to withstand heavy use. It is designed to cover many of the core technical competencies related to both discrete parts and process manufacturing.
Colorful and multifaceted, Skill Boss will be more fun than a robot for many students and will encourage them to enter a career pathway in advanced manufacturing. Cost-effective (at under $20K), Skill Boss will enable many more schools, who cannot afford a lab or tech center, to offer hands-on MSSC CPT training and credentialing.
Skill Boss Value Add:
"As an instructor, having Skill Boss will provide me with a functional hands-on teaching and testing tool that will allow my students to learn and demonstrate the valuable skills and concepts of the MSSC CPT program." -
Victor Burgos: MSSC Master Trainer
- Allows for documentation of 55+ "Hands-on" Skills
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Affordable for manufacturing training programs in lower income regions
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Trains and assesses hands-on skills for all sectors of manufacturing
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Removes employer doubt by requiring evidence of hands on skills
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Strong training and assessment tool for incumbent workers
- Allows for hands-on training and documentation for each MSSC CPT Concentration
- Interactive with CPT virtual 3-D simulation learning
- Increases incentive to earn the full CPT
- Appeals to tactile learners through dynamic learning experience
- Excellent for remote "rural" learning
- Classroom friendly, fits onto a standard tabletop and features:
- An electric motor,
- Variable frequency drive,
- Human-machine interface,
- Pneumatic pick-and-place module,
- And when setup, this system will quality test and sort blocks made from plastic and metal.
Relationship with Current CPT Program, Instructors, and Fees:
The current MSSC CPT Program remains in full force as a highly successful program for training and certifying individuals with the core technical competencies needed to enter front-line production jobs in all manufacturing sectors. There is no requirement that education and training institutions offering CPT will need to purchase a Skill Boss trainer. Nor will there be any change in the credentialing documentation that MSSC provides for successful completion of CPT Modules, including a diploma-quality parchment with seals and arm patches for those securing a full CPT Certification.
CPT+ Skill Boss is an enhancement designed to further qualify CPT Certificants for employment. Individuals seeking a CPT+ credential must pass the current written assessments for all four CPT Modules: Safety; Quality Practices & Measurement; Manufacturing Processes & Production; and Maintenance Awareness.
Delivery Expectations of CPT+ Instructor Training and Assessment:
Only Amatrol Distributors are authorized to sell the Skill Boss training device and will be responsible for demonstrating Skill Boss to CPT Instructors, for invoicing and collections, and for customer service questions related to Skill Boss. MSSC will continue to be responsible for delivering the CPT courses, instructor training, assessments and any related invoicing, collections and customer service.
MSSC is currently developing its CPT+ Assessment and Instructor Training. Piloting of the CPT+ and Skill Boss will take place in Alabama during the month of November. MSSC is expecting a completion date of CPT+ and Instructor Training after the Alabama pilot with a target timeline for implementation in early 2018.
As Skill Boss units are already being purchased around the country, MSSC strongly encourages its interested community members currently and/or previously offering CPT, to order the new Skill Boss hands-on training and CPT+ Assessment device soon. Please contact Dina Igoe, MSSC Sr. Marketing Manager at
digoe@msscusa.org
for more information on placing your order.
