Articles - CAT® SIMULATORS

12 04, 2022

Reduce Employee Turnover With Training Opportunities

The great resignation or the great reshuffling, either way, means you have probably experienced some employee turnover in the last two years. If your organization offers attractive salaries and benefits and you are still losing employees, it may be because of a lack of learning opportunities. According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 71% of respondents say job training and development increased their job satisfaction.

Employees today are looking for ways to be better in their current roles and grow into new roles down the road. Training can help accomplish both with the additional benefit of keeping people from leaving altogether. By providing the training you want employees to have and the training they need for their current roles, you can help them close skills gaps. This training will also help your current employees grow into new roles within your organization. It costs a lot less to keep an employee than to find and onboard a new employee. Investments in training pay for themselves.

94% Employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in learning

84% Managers agree learning can close skills gaps

83% Gen Zs want to learn new skills to perform better in current roles

The benefits of training are many. Training can come in the form of in-person learning (classroom or one-to-one mentoring), digital learning and simulation.

Happy employees are engaged employees – and engaged employees stay put.
Learning new things make employees more motivated.
Skills training can encompass soft skills, motor skills or specific capabilities. Close any gaps or help employees make the jump into a new role with the right learning experience.
Training employees takes away the anxiety of not knowing how to do something (process, steps or technique). With simulation especially, practicing in the safety of a virtual environment means mishaps won’t have the same impact as real life.
Develop your next leaders with the right training, so you can promote from within your organization.
Learning can stimulate new ideas, creativity and innovation to be applied to employees’ jobs or to the products and services your organization offers.
Keep your organization ahead of the competition by watching trends and changes in your industry and teaching employees about what is happening.

Avoid employee turnover by investing in training. Talk to your employees and help them develop in their roles and beyond with focused training. Your organization will benefit as much as each individual employee.

Sources
Rockwood, Kate (2022, January 15) How Learning and Development Can Attract—and Retain—Talent. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/all-things-work/pages/how-learning-and-development-can-attract-and-retain-talent.aspx
LinkedIn Learning, Workplace Learning Report (2019). Retrieved from https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/amp/learning-solutions/images/workplace-learning-report-2019/pdf/workplace-learning-report-2019.pdf
LinkedIn Learning, Workplace Learning Report (2020) Retrieved from https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/amp/learning-solutions/images/wlr21/pdf/LinkedIn-Learning_Workplace-Learning-Report-2021-EN-1.pdf

1 04, 2022

Hands-on learning: Touring Baker Technical Institute

A rainy day didn’t deter the Baker Technical Institute from welcoming state legislators, county commissioners, Blue Mountain Community College representatives, and company representatives from around the region for a tour on Monday morning, March 28.

State Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, whose district includes Baker County, had visited BTI, which is based at the Baker High School campus, a couple years ago.

Findley, along with BTI President Doug Dalton, worked with the Eastern Oregon Workforce Board to plan the tour showcasing what BTI has to offer students and adults. About 20 people participated in Monday’s event, including another legislator, Sen. Bill Hansell, a Republican from Athena, in Umatilla County.

“I toured BTI about two years ago and was so impressed with this facility and what you guys do up here,” Findley said.

The facility, which started about eight years ago in the Baker 5J School District, offers a heavy equipment operator school, a truck driving school, a health care program, training in agriculture, natural sciences and natural resources, and it recently partnered with Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative to start a utility worker training center.

Sandy Mitchell, program coordinator for BTI, explained that BTI is a technical college.

“We contract back with the Baker School District and provide all of the (grades) 7-12 CTE (career technical education) programs and then we also are licensed as a technical college in the state of Oregon through HECC, Higher Education Coordinating Commission,” Mitchell said.

She said BTI partners with industries across the Pacific Northwest to take BTI training programs to other communities.

“Right now, we’re in Eastern Idaho. In Idaho Falls, we have 20 students that we’re training in construction,” Mitchell said. “So, last week they actually poured concrete and they’re learning concrete masonry at a rest area. We do community projects and our instructors will go in and teach them.”

She said all 20 of the students learned skills in blueprint reading, construction math, how to find the volume, what you need for concrete, and how to order it.

Mitchell said BTI instructors also set up at remote location mobile classrooms with trailers that contain simulators that students use to learn how to operate heavy equipment such as backhoes and excavators.

“We feel really strongly about getting students as many certifications as possible,” Dalton said.

In healthcare, Dalton said BTI has mobile labs that allow instructors to work inside hospitals across the region, including in Pendleton, Heppner, Wallowa, John Day, Burns and Ontario.

“We’re now building labs to be able to teach medical classes from here into even smaller rural communities,” Dalton said.

Hands-on training

Participants in Monday’s tour experienced the mobile heavy equipment simulators, including truck driving and logistics training.

“These trailers go all over the Northwest,” Dalton said.

Patrick Raimondo, plant manager at Behlen Country’s livestock equipment factory in Baker City, attended the tour along with the plant’s human resources manager, Stacy DeLong, and Angi Boruch, quality and safety manager.

Delong and Boruch chose the truck driving simulator. Users settle into an authentic truck seat that moves just as a real truck would depending on terrain and road surface.

Three screens showed the view through the windshield, windows, and rear view mirrors.

An instructor chooses different driving scenarios for the student to deal with, including inclement weather, a deer leaping into the road, or a blown tire or other mechanical problem.“I’ve got to give it to the truck drivers, this is not easy,” Boruch said after her turn on the simulator.

“This is wild,” DeLong said.

Agriculture, health care offerings continue to grow

Dalton led the tour from the simulators to the FFA greenhouse, where students were tending to flower baskets for the Mother’s Day sale. It will be held in person.

“90 percent of our ag program is directed at high school students, (the) FFA program here,” Dalton said. “We’ve got a full plant science pathway and a full animal science pathway, both. And then we offer ag business and ag technology and innovation classes.”

The BTI ag program was voted program of the year for Oregon and the region.

BTI also has an ESports team, the first in Oregon. The team participates in electronic sports tournaments.

In health care, BTI has courses focusing on rural medicine, including wilderness first aid.

“We train everybody from physicians that need continuing ed and we’re approved through the American Medical Association to give them rural life support skills,” Dalton said.

Dalton said BTI has a student base of about 2,000 students around the area and they are continuing to grow.

“We have a contract with the Baker School District, we do all their high school CTE (career technical education) and we ship middle school students up here to get started,” he said. “So, they are earning industry certifications here as high school students, which is awesome. We’ll train about 400 during the day here up until afternoon, and then at about 2:30 the adults start coming in.”

Dalton said the average starting salary for students who had completed classes was $56 per hour. He said BTI students learn to prepare resumes, go through mock interviews, and understand entrepreneurship and financial record-keeping.

“We celebrate work ethic and we talk about it every day,” he said.

Dalton said BTI also encourages creative thinking among students.

Its Tormach 1100mx CNC Mill, a $40,000 machine that arrived in pieces in hundreds of boxes, was put together by Zach Morrison for an engineer project.

“Work ethic. We’re super proud of that. He was creative, he had the work ethic, he was here every weekend,” Dalton said of Morrison.

Students use the CNC Mill to create projects and have robotic tournaments and more. “Fabulous skills and it all starts with creativity,” Dalton said.

Original Article – Baker City Herald by: Samantha O’Conner | March 30, 2022 | https://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/hands-on-learning-touring-baker-technical-institute/article_235757ae-b04f-11ec-b030-4ba867f45502.html

29 03, 2022

Carmeuse Busts Long-standing Production and Safety Myth

For more than 160 years, Carmeuse, a family-owned materials and services company, has provided solutions in mining operations, equipment, material processing and engineering around the globe. The Belgium-based company employs more than 5,000 employees worldwide with 2,500 employees located in North America. Of those 2,500, approximately 80 percent operate heavy equipment in open pit and underground mines.

“With about 80 percent of our workforce being hourly, our Zero-Injury team emphasizes safety,” said Erin Anderson, Carmeuse Director of Talent and Training. “We really need to make sure our employees are well-trained, working safely and working to the same standard across all operations. A big part of that is training in the field with the different Cat® Simulators.”

Wanting to improve their overall Cat equipment training capabilities in the plants, Carmeuse sent a group of employees to Caterpillar for Level III certification. While attending the training, the employees experienced various

Cat Simulators which sparked discussion to purchase Cat Simulators. The decision was made to expand the training program with four machine models: the large wheel loader, off-highway truck, motor grader and dozer, explained Anderson.

Myth Busting

Carmeuse immediately realized the inherent safety advantage of using Cat Simulators for initial operator training and refresher training for seasoned operators. The team continually busts the long-standing myth that heavy equipment operators cannot be safe and productive at the same time.

“Years ago, the old rule of thumb was you couldn’t be safe and be productive at the same time. But now we’ve turned that around and you can actually be more productive by being safe,” said Carmeuse Technical Trainer Harold Hoskins, who noted that more than 1,000 Carmeuse employees have trained on the company’s five Cat Simulators over the past three years.

Hoskins explained first and foremost, he and his team members stress the importance of safety, then they focus on improving operators’ efficiency and productivity. “We work on cycle times and how they can be safe and efficient at the same time,” said Hoskins. “With the simulators, we can pinpoint the operator right down to his cycle time; how he’s loading the bucket and how he’s loading the truck.”

Using the Manager’s Workstation, the Carmeuse training team assesses operators on the simulators both prior to training and again after they have completed training. “We look at the employee’s different performances and set the simulator’s settings specifically for that operator.” Hoskins continued, “If the employee is a new operator, we lower the settings or expectations. If the operator is more experienced, we set the expectations higher.”

“The operators are assessed a final time once they’re in the field to ensure our expectations have been achieved,” explained Anderson. “We’ve realized performance increases in our operators that we expected as a result of using the simulators.”

“We’ve realized performance increases in our operators that we expected as a result of using the simulators.”

– Erin Anderson, Carmeuse Director of Talent and Training

Additional Simulator Benefits

In addition to being an effective training tool, Hoskins has experienced firsthand the safety that simulator training provides for both the operator and trainer. “I had an operator who had never been in a motor grader seat,” recalled Hoskins. “Motor grader cabs are close quarters, so I had him practice on the simulator. When he went out into the field, he was able to maneuver around and use the controls while I stayed on the ground with a two-way radio to instruct him. We were both safer because I wasn’t in the cab with him.”

“Training with the simulator is not only safer but we’re also not burning fuel either. And there’s no wear and tear on the actual equipment in the field.”

– Harold Hoskins, Carmeuse Technical Trainer

Hoskins continued, “Training with the simulator is not only safer but we’re also not burning fuel either. And there’s no wear and tear on the actual equipment in the field. We can restart exercises several times and work on specific applications over and over again without spending more money.”

In addition to being Carmeuse’s training tool, Anderson uses the simulator as a recruiting tool for the company and the mining industry. “It’s helped us with recruiting kids in the community,” she explained. “We’re in the process of purchasing a second whole simulator so we’ll have one in the North and one in the South. With a second one, we’ll have more flexibility to take one to local technical schools, high schools and job fairs to get kids excited about our industry.”

23 03, 2022

Operator training with a difference Caterpillar Simulators And Virtual Reality Solutions

Simulators aren’t new to the training world. The first time I had a crack at one was 20 years ago at a mine site in the Hunter Valley, it was pretty cool. Simulators are a tremendous tool for introducing industry operators to a new piece of equipment in a safe, stress-free environment, without impacting production. The evolution of simulators now sees them having the ability to benchmark experienced operators against recommended OEM techniques with the intended outcome of not only having a productive operator, but also one that’s exercising machine health.

One of the most exciting training aids that has dropped onto the scene in recent years is Virtual Reality (VR). To have the ability to totally immerse an operator into a world where everything feels like it’s at their fingertips, still blows my mind. VR by far is a technology that I think will pave the way for operator training into the future.

I recently caught up with Chris Nolan, Account Manager and Design Specialist at Simformotion, the licensee for Cat® Simulators for Caterpillar Inc. for over 13 years, making them Caterpillar’s oldest heavy equipment simulator licensee.

With models for mining, construction and forestry, the product line is vast with more in development. Full simulators feature convertible controls on the same base unit, motion systems, cab seat with working seatbelt, and multi-screen configurations. Save space or cross train with conversions. Compact models are also available for socially distanced stations. Both set-ups include authentic Cat controls and the option for VR edition.

According to Chris, what sets Cat Simulators apart from other brands are the authentic Cat controls and other Cat differences. By using the same genuine controls as found in the actual machine, the operator can make a seamless transition to the field. Each simulator is developed with Caterpillar operator experts, so applications match those found on the real machines. Learners will experience consistent training in the safety of the virtual environment, knowing they are learning “the Cat way”.

Besides working with Cat experts during simulator development, Simformotion also provides training and support for customers. Trainers will work with customers via live stream or arrive on-site. Technical support is available 24×7. Plus, Cat Simulators offers SimScholars™, an online curriculum for a blended learning program in the classroom or for remote learning.

Original Article: Earthmoving Equipment Magazine |March 21, 2022 | https://www.earthmovers-magazine.com.au/operator-training-with-a-difference-caterpillar-simulators-and-virtual-reality-solutions/

4 03, 2022

Women in Construction Week (WIC Week™) – March 6 to 12, 2022

This week is national Women in Construction Week (WIC Week™) which celebrates, educates and promotes women in the construction industry. This year’s theme, “Envision Equity,” seeks to raise awareness of opportunities and possibilities for women in the construction industry, from tradeswomen to project managers to business ownership. Twenty-year-old Salma Limon, a Hoopaugh Grading Company, LLC, (HGC) dozer operator, is proof positive that the possibilities are endless.

As a little girl, Limon never imagined being a heavy equipment operator although she had always enjoyed tagging along to jobsites with her dad. “One day I was sitting in a mini excavator when my dad teased me saying, ‘Don’t dig us to China!’” laughed Limon. “Now, 10 years later I’m out here working on construction sites operating a Caterpillar dozer.”

With a median pay of approximately $24 per hour or $48,100 per year, more women are joining Limon in pursuing heavy equipment operator careers. During the past five years, the percentage of women in the construction industry grew from two percent to 11 percent; the percentage continues to grow. Learn more about careers for women in construction: https://www.nawic.org/

17 02, 2022

The Evolution of High-Visibility Safety Apparel

Do construction workers wearing brightly colored, fluorescent vests catch your eye when driving by a highway construction site? They should. Thanks to Bob Switzer, who invented fluorescent dyes in the 1930s, construction workers, emergency personnel and even joggers are more easily seen during the day. Initially called “Day-Glo” because it “glowed” in daylight, the fluorescent dye played a significant role in saving World War II aircraft crewmen’s lives who wore Day-Glo suits.

More than 75 years later, the fluorescent dye continues to save countless workers’ lives who wear, what’s now called “high-visibility” or “hi-vis,” apparel on jobsites and mine sites around the world every day as part of their MSHA and OSHA required Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Cat® Simulators training stresses the importance of wearing high-visibility apparel and PPE on the jobsite.

Learn more about the evolution of high-visibility apparel:  https://safetyequipment.org/knowledge-center-items/the-evolution-of-high-visibility-apparel/

19 01, 2022

Lowpoint Washburn High School Seniors Visit Simformotion

One of the best field trips ever! That’s how a Lowpoint Washburn high school senior described his recent class field trip to Simformotion’s headquarters in East Peoria, Illinois, where he and six of his classmates spent the day learning ̶ not by reading books, using their tablets or listening to their teacher. But rather, they took turns operating two Cat® Simulators, the Advanced Dozer and Excavator, both located inside Simformotion’s Mobile Training Center (MTC).

The students arrived at Simformotion excited about the day ahead of them, a day full of hands-on simulator experience, not to mention a day away from the classroom. After walking up three stairs into the MTC, the students saw their classroom in the MTC, complete with desks, chairs and two full-motion simulator systems.

Simformotion Trainer, Tyler Kuehn, greeted his new students; then grinning, handed them each a quiz. “I always start my classes off with a pre-test,” explained Kuehn. “In this case, I’ll find out how much, or how little, they know about an excavator which will give me a baseline on their machine knowledge level.”

“I’m excited for these kids to be here today to experience the simulators,” said Kuehn who initiated the field trip by talking with his mom, DiAnn Kuehn, a teacher’s aide in the Lowpoint Washburn junior high STEM program. “I asked her if any students would be interested in a field trip to Simformotion because I thought it would be a valuable experience for high school students. I’m pretty sure if an opportunity like this would have been available when I was in high school, it would have changed my career path.”

DiAnn contacted Kim Krohn, the high school’s business teacher, and the two teachers went to work determining which seniors in Krohn’s vocational co-op program would benefit most from the hands-on simulator experience.

The timing was perfect. “We had been looking at different professions and just finished talking about different careers, so the visit fit perfectly at the right time,” explained Krohn. “It was a terrific opportunity, and I would love to do it again in the future. It gave the students a unique perspective of a career in operating machinery.”

“One student who wants to be a heavy equipment operator thought it was awesome that he could operate both the excavator and dozer simulators. Another student who was on the fence about whether he wanted to go into machine operation is thinking more seriously about it now.” Krohn added, “And there are a couple of other students who are definitely more interested now. The day gave all of them a view into a career they could possibly do that some of them hadn’t even considered earlier.”

Not only did Krohn observe her students try their hands on the simulators, but she climbed into the excavator’s operator seat and became a student too. “I wasn’t very good at it,” she laughed. “I was surprised at how real the movement felt. It was like I was actually operating an excavator which was really good because now I can talk to my students about it as a possible profession.”

Krohn was impressed with Kuehn’s training style and focus on safety. She shared, “We could tell he cared about what he was teaching and the simulators. One of his main points was how safe you must be when you’re operating a machine. He explained that simulator training can help teach operators how to operate machines safely. That hit home with me and the students.”

Senior Jesse Knacht enjoyed his time on both simulators. “The best part of the day was operating the simulators, especially the dozer,” said Knacht who is interested in a career as a heavy equipment operator. “I’m really glad we were invited. It was a great opportunity, especially if you want to go into machine operation like I do.”

Kuehn feels like he achieved his goal of inviting the students to Simformotion for the day. “According to my mom, some of the younger kids who aren’t seniors yet heard about the field trip and are asking if they get to come here next year,” said Kuehn. “I’d call that success.”

10 01, 2022

LEDCOR U.S. HEAVY CIVIL AND MINING: A CULTURE OF SAFETY AND TRAINING

“Think Safety. Work Safely” is more than the safety slogan at Ledcor U.S. Heavy Civil and Mining, based in Reno, Nevada. It’s part of the company’s culture and its number one priority. At Ledcor, people are the most important asset which explains why safety tops the company’s list of values – safety, quality, integrity, sustainability and success.

“Ensuring employees know the best safety practices and how to follow them is a priority at Ledcor,” explained Jerry Rynearson, Ledcor Training Manager. “Both new and seasoned employees participate in career training and development which include field, classroom, computer-based and simulator training.”

Culture of Safety and Training

“Ledcor’s culture of safety and training is very ingrained,” said Rynearson who has spent the last 36 years training heavy equipment operators at various companies. He explained Ledcor’s two-tier assessment training system starts with a theory class, Haul Truck 101, which focuses on safe surface mining operation practices with the fleet’s Caterpillar and Komatsu mining trucks. After completing the Haul Truck 101 assessment, employees head to the field for hands-on time to practice pre-operation mining truck inspections.

Once back in the classroom, they begin training on the Cat® Simulators Mining Truck simulator systems which were added to enhance the program last year. “We added the simulators so employees could learn and practice and maybe make mistakes without any risk to themselves or damage to our actual machines,” explained Rynearson.

“We train the importance of proper gear selection, auto retarding capabilities, downhill loaded brake use and dumping at a high wall on the simulators,” he said. “Dumping at a highwall has a safety factor for both the operators and equipment. If the truck isn’t square to the dump area, the operator could potentially drive through the berm, or the truck could unload unevenly and potentially cause damage to certain components.”

“We can teach all of those concepts on the simulators for all the mining trucks, not just the Cat trucks,” said Rynearson. He explained that Ledcor takes its mining truck safety training program one step further with the Cat Simulators’ Mining Truck Incident Response training package.

“Think Safety. Work Safely”
is more than the safety slogan at Ledcor.
It’s part of the company’s culture
and its number one priority.

Incident Response Training

“We use the Incident Response training to train operators how to respond to engine fires, loss of brakes, loss of steering and slick roads. All the situations you would like to duplicate in the field but can’t safely duplicate,” said Rynearson. “A lot of companies just talk to their operators and tell them what to do in those situations. But you can’t see the operator’s reaction unless you’re using a simulator.”

“Simulators have made it easier to train for these situations because you’re in a controlled environment where you’re not pressured. There’s no pressure for the student, no pressure for the trainer/instructor,” added Rynearson. “You have the ability to stop everything right where you’re at and talk about it. In the real world, you can’t just stop and talk about what just went wrong or the effects of what was done incorrectly. Simulators have brought a new level of stop and talk.”

Employee and Trainer Benefits

Ledcor Lead Simulator Trainer Shelly New, a 26-year mining industry veteran, continually sees the benefits of simulator training for both employees and trainers. “Simulator training gets employees familiar with the truck’s controls and how to run them,” explained New. “Simulators also help us trainers see how people will react to the different scenarios. You can’t really say, ‘Okay, you’re on fire. What do you do?’”

New continued, “But what we can do is simulate a fire, steering loss, brake loss and slick weather conditions, basically anything that can go wrong. If the employee makes a mistake, we can go back through it with them, discuss it and explain what they need to do in the future for each of those scenarios.”

In addition to leading the simulator training program, New also assesses operators. “After simulator training, we get in the actual haul trucks with the employees in the pit,” said New. “I’m in the trucks to make sure they have all the information they need to run the truck safely. We’re in the trucks all day, every day, every week.”

Simulators have made it easier
to train for these situations
because you’re in a controlled
environment where you’re not
pressured. There’s no pressure
for the student, no pressure
for the trainer/instructor.

Value of Authentic Cat Controls

Ledcor employees also learn how to operate large wheel loaders safely and efficiently on the Cat Simulators Large Wheel Loader simulator system. “The large wheel loader simulator lines up with our loader fleet to a T,” explained Rynearson. “That’s where I see the biggest value. It’s perfect to have the exact Cat controls. Other simulator manufacturers will use generic controls which I don’t feel are conducive to muscle memory like the Cat controls.”

“Not everybody walks in knowing how the machine’s going to bend in the middle and how to act and respond to that,” said Rynearson. “On a simulator, the operator gains muscle memory and control familiarization with the Cat controls. Then when they go to the machine, they’re more confident and less intimidated.”

Time and Cost Savings

“Simulator training also allows us to increase our time in the pit because we’re not losing that time by taking a loader out of production.” Rynearson continued, “It’s much more difficult to take a loader out of the fleet to have somebody learn the controls while it’s in production than a truck. We’re also not burning fuel or wasting time when we train with the simulators.”

The mining truck simulators offer potential significant cost and time savings as well explained Rynearson. “If you were driving a real 793 truck and overheated the brakes continually and damaged them, it’s about $300,000 worth of damage and one week of downtime,” he said. “All of this is why simulator training is important to any company who owns fleets like we have.”

The Ledcor Group of Companies. Forward. Together.

Since 1947, the Ledcor Group of Companies, a privately held, employee-owned company, has been growing with its clients and partners: Forward. Together.

With more than 800 employee shareholders, Ledcor employs more than 7,000 people across 20 offices and is one of North America’s most diversified construction companies. Serving the civil & infrastructure, oil & gas, pipeline, building, mining, power and telecommunications sectors, Ledcor also owns operations in property investment, forestry, aviation and marine transportation services.

Ledcor’s US Heavy Civil and Mining services reach across the lifespan of a mine, from facility construction to full-scale contract mining of coal, minerals, or metals, as well as mine reclamation and a wide variety of heavy civil activities. With vast long-term projects in multiple locations across Nevada and into California, the team is continuously growing along with its training programs. Ledcor’s team of five trainer/assessors provide instruction to its current employees on a variety of machinery from heavy equipment to ultra-class fleets in the Ledcor Academy.

Due to the limited availability of experienced manpower, Ledcor plans to evolve Ledcor Academy this year and provide training opportunities for prospective employees who are not familiar with mining and equipment operations. “We are in a world of creating and developing the workforce. We find that educating our team prior to arriving on site results in a safer, more value-driven group of teammates,” explained Jerry Rynearson, Ledcor Training Manager.

To learn more, visit https://www.ledcor.com/who-we-are/locations/nevada

6 12, 2021

National Miners Day

Despite federal efforts to ensure safe working conditions for miners, they have one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs you can imagine. To recognize their efforts, Congress has declared December 6 National Miners Day. Why? Our entire economy depends on them. On this holiday, we should all take a moment to think about the many ways that miners play a role in our daily lives. Mined materials contribute to things like roads, houses, cars and computers. We wouldn’t be able to get much done without their hard work. Read more: https://nationaltoday.com/national-miners-day/amp/

17 11, 2021

7th annual National Apprenticeship Week: November 15 – 21, 2021

Simformotion joins in the celebration of apprentices nationwide this week during the 7th annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). During NAW, industry, labor, equity, workforce, education, and government leaders host events showcasing the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship for re-building our economy, advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting underserved communities. Read more: https://www.apprenticeship.gov/national-apprenticeship-week