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Changing blue to white

Changing blue to white This article first appeared in 'Profile' the house journa l of ITT Europ e Inc, Avenue Louise 480, B-1050 Brussels. 'Profile' is a quarterly, available in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish versions. Retraining skilled blue-collar shop floor workers 'But when I realised that I'd be better off in a position with a real future — and knowing that the company would offer to become whiter-than-white computer pro­ me a chance in another field (or at least my old job back) I grammers is a big step which not many started the first course with enthusiasm'. companies would contemplate. But it has paid off 'W e obviously had to work hard on the courses', says Paul for Bell Telephone writes ALAIN CHEVENIER De Craecker, another retrainee. 'Sometimes we'd be up of Europolitique. studying until midnight or one o'clock. Even so we were And the 'retrainees' are clearly happy, too. never tempted to give up and go back to our old jobs — we'd been bitten by th e dp bug' . The problem was an old one — faced by most industrial 'It's now more than a year since our courses ended and companies. Ever-changing technology had created a need we'r e still as enthusiastic as ever. We've got a much for many more types of specialists (in this case computer broader circle of interests, lots of contacts with outside programmers). At the same time many highly-skilled shop people, and we'r e looking for ways to get further ahead and floor workers (mainly tool-makers and fitters) were facing eventually to become first-rate programmers'. redundancy because of a decline in standard production In th e future Bell Telephone intends to carry on and expand lines as new products and technologies came into being. this experiment, converting tool-makers and fitters into Faced with this dual motivation, the personnel department electronics specialists. A programme along these lines has of the Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company (BTM), a already been mapped out to begin in March 1977. About 30 Belgian company of ITT, decided to help everyone to help people will participate, divided into two groups: tool- themselves. In a few months it had transformed its first makers in the 20—30 years age group and those over batch of blue-collar workers (the fitters and toolmakers) into 40 — and it is expected that this will be the first of many white-collar (computer programmer) specialists. similar programmes. The retraining scheme has succeeded almost against all the odds. From the outset, it was fully discussed with planning for promotion everyone concerned (which is standard procedure at Bell whenever personnel retraining programmes are started). The company, in fact, has used job retraining over the years Twenty-nine candidates were then selected to follow a two- as one of th e weapons in the fight to maintain its position of week training course covering basic electricity, electronics leadership in the field of telecommunications — by re­ and data processing (dp), which included training with such training and transferring engineers, technicians and facilities as a specially created TV studio. Some 15 of these workers from one department to another, in keeping with who showed an ability in this field were chosen to follow the production needs. full dp courses — the others being retrained in different As sales forecasts reveal, the trend is towards an ever fields (mainly as designers in switching systems or as greater production of electronic material, which requires technical engineers). many more qualified technicians. These can be found from After a month of dp courses, the 15 'students' were given within the company through retraining — and such their first examination. On the results ten were selected to schemes usually involve general orientation courses over a join the dp department, where each one worked with a period of two years ensuring complete assimilation by the personal experienced 'guide' at first, but was then trainees. Thereafter, intensive courses are devoted to a gradually able to work independently. particular field. 'The success of this experiment was largely due to the 'W e also work on the theory that every person, no matter favourable psychological climate created at the very what his level of education, is capable of further progress', beginning', says Serge Sorber, BTM's director of says Serge Sorber. 'We have set up a promotion planning personnel. 'When someone is well informed of the true scheme (Bell is one of the few Belgian companies to have state of affairs and the underlying economic reasons, he is done this) that permits timely preparation for the next able to act confidently and accept changes, even of a major step in th e individual's career'. kind, in his professional life'. The overall success of BTM's retraining approach is clearly indicated by its workforce's interest in the company. The what the workers say average turnover of personnel amongst large Belgian companies is often between 25—30 per cent, whilst at Bell The retrained workers are also clearly pleased with their progress. 'After eight years as a tool-maker, I was used to it is less than 14 pe r cent. Moreover, absenteeism (often the result of lack of interest in the work) is a low seven to eight the daily routine', says one of them, Luc De Pauw (aged 24). 'Nothing would have made me consider changing from per cent at Bell compared to 15—25 per cent in other the job I'd worked in since I wa s 15'. companies.Ü http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Industrial and Commercial Training Emerald Publishing

Changing blue to white

Industrial and Commercial Training , Volume 9 (2): 1 – Feb 1, 1977
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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ISSN
0019-7858
DOI
10.1108/eb003590
Publisher site
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Abstract

This article first appeared in 'Profile' the house journa l of ITT Europ e Inc, Avenue Louise 480, B-1050 Brussels. 'Profile' is a quarterly, available in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish versions. Retraining skilled blue-collar shop floor workers 'But when I realised that I'd be better off in a position with a real future — and knowing that the company would offer to become whiter-than-white computer pro­ me a chance in another field (or at least my old job back) I grammers is a big step which not many started the first course with enthusiasm'. companies would contemplate. But it has paid off 'W e obviously had to work hard on the courses', says Paul for Bell Telephone writes ALAIN CHEVENIER De Craecker, another retrainee. 'Sometimes we'd be up of Europolitique. studying until midnight or one o'clock. Even so we were And the 'retrainees' are clearly happy, too. never tempted to give up and go back to our old jobs — we'd been bitten by th e dp bug' . The problem was an old one — faced by most industrial 'It's now more than a year since our courses ended and companies. Ever-changing technology had created a need we'r e still as enthusiastic as ever. We've got a much for many more types of specialists (in this case computer broader circle of interests, lots of contacts with outside programmers). At the same time many highly-skilled shop people, and we'r e looking for ways to get further ahead and floor workers (mainly tool-makers and fitters) were facing eventually to become first-rate programmers'. redundancy because of a decline in standard production In th e future Bell Telephone intends to carry on and expand lines as new products and technologies came into being. this experiment, converting tool-makers and fitters into Faced with this dual motivation, the personnel department electronics specialists. A programme along these lines has of the Bell Telephone Manufacturing Company (BTM), a already been mapped out to begin in March 1977. About 30 Belgian company of ITT, decided to help everyone to help people will participate, divided into two groups: tool- themselves. In a few months it had transformed its first makers in the 20—30 years age group and those over batch of blue-collar workers (the fitters and toolmakers) into 40 — and it is expected that this will be the first of many white-collar (computer programmer) specialists. similar programmes. The retraining scheme has succeeded almost against all the odds. From the outset, it was fully discussed with planning for promotion everyone concerned (which is standard procedure at Bell whenever personnel retraining programmes are started). The company, in fact, has used job retraining over the years Twenty-nine candidates were then selected to follow a two- as one of th e weapons in the fight to maintain its position of week training course covering basic electricity, electronics leadership in the field of telecommunications — by re­ and data processing (dp), which included training with such training and transferring engineers, technicians and facilities as a specially created TV studio. Some 15 of these workers from one department to another, in keeping with who showed an ability in this field were chosen to follow the production needs. full dp courses — the others being retrained in different As sales forecasts reveal, the trend is towards an ever fields (mainly as designers in switching systems or as greater production of electronic material, which requires technical engineers). many more qualified technicians. These can be found from After a month of dp courses, the 15 'students' were given within the company through retraining — and such their first examination. On the results ten were selected to schemes usually involve general orientation courses over a join the dp department, where each one worked with a period of two years ensuring complete assimilation by the personal experienced 'guide' at first, but was then trainees. Thereafter, intensive courses are devoted to a gradually able to work independently. particular field. 'The success of this experiment was largely due to the 'W e also work on the theory that every person, no matter favourable psychological climate created at the very what his level of education, is capable of further progress', beginning', says Serge Sorber, BTM's director of says Serge Sorber. 'We have set up a promotion planning personnel. 'When someone is well informed of the true scheme (Bell is one of the few Belgian companies to have state of affairs and the underlying economic reasons, he is done this) that permits timely preparation for the next able to act confidently and accept changes, even of a major step in th e individual's career'. kind, in his professional life'. The overall success of BTM's retraining approach is clearly indicated by its workforce's interest in the company. The what the workers say average turnover of personnel amongst large Belgian companies is often between 25—30 per cent, whilst at Bell The retrained workers are also clearly pleased with their progress. 'After eight years as a tool-maker, I was used to it is less than 14 pe r cent. Moreover, absenteeism (often the result of lack of interest in the work) is a low seven to eight the daily routine', says one of them, Luc De Pauw (aged 24). 'Nothing would have made me consider changing from per cent at Bell compared to 15—25 per cent in other the job I'd worked in since I wa s 15'. companies.Ü

Journal

Industrial and Commercial Training – Emerald Publishing

Published: Feb 1, 1977

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