Tooling University ( www.toolingu.com)

Tooling University (Tooling U®) is an online training service providing workforce development training for precision metalworkers, or "tool and die" workers, assemblers, and industrial maintenance professionals. Tooling U is not accredited by any recognised accreditation body. As such, Tooling University cannot offer degrees to its students. Students seeking a degree or certification must combine Tooling University training with hands-on training available at other institutions such as colleges, technical schools, or company-sponsored apprenticeship programs.

Tooling U is intended to fill the educational gap in the manufacturing trades left by the dwindling number of vocational schools and the demise of many traditional manufacturing apprenticeship programs. Tooling University provides products and services that address some of the most critical skill and capability requirements of today's global manufacturing economy.

Organization of Training

Tooling University currently offers more than 350 distinct online "classes," or training titles. Each class represents approximately one to two hours of training, depending on the user's learning pace. These classes are arranged into "departments," which include a sequence of titles relating to a similar subject area that are also organized according to difficulty level: beginner, intermediate and advanced.

In January 2007, Tooling University offered separate departments on metal cutting, shop essentials (math and print reading), CNC, Haas controls, GE Fanuc controls, materials, manual machining (mill and lathe), abrasives, inspection, workholding, safety, quality, stamping, welding, fasteners, soldering, electrical systems, mechanical systems, and hydraulics/pneumatics. These various subjects or "departments" tend to address three general industrial niches: machining/manufacturing (the production of discrete parts), assembly/joining, and industrial maintenance.

To organize training material for student use, Tooling University offers training divided into "job titles." Each job title typically includes anywhere from 50 to 100 separate classes and pulls these classes from various departments. For example, a "CNC Lathe Operator" job title includes 98 classes from departments such as metal cutting, CNC, safety, quality, inspection, etc. Tooling University based its job titles after surveying various sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, industrial standards such as the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), and extensive input and feedback from the subject matter experts (SMEs) that helped Tooling University create its online content.

Training Delivery Method

Tooling University classes are Internet-only classes, using "photos and illustrations, an audio voice-over, streaming video, an interactive dictionary, and an interactive note-taking capability". There is no practical work. "Tooling U classes should always be used in a blended learning curriculum incorporating online training at Tooling U, instructor-led training at a school or company and "lab" time in the form of work in the machining lab at school, or on the production floor at work."

All classes are offered online through Tooling University's custom Learning Management System (LMS), which provides the means for delivering the training content online, as well as the ability to track student performance, use, etc. Larger companies often have their own LMS in place, which requires use of Tooling University training material outside of their custom LMS. To encourage the use of online training material across various LMS platforms, companies will offer content that is SCORM compliant. Tooling University transitioned its content into SCORM compliant classes in 2002.

Manufacturers are observing an increasing need to train non-English speaking individuals. This reality has led Tooling University to renew its efforts to offer Spanish-language versions of all its classes. This is an effort that is still being pursued, though approximately half of Tooling University classes have been translated.

History of Tooling University

Tooling University began development of its web site and initial classes in 1999, though it was not until the fall of 2001 that Tooling University launched its first 30 classes. Tooling University LLC was carved out of its parent company, Jergens, Inc. in February 2002. Founded in 1942, Jergens is a privately held manufacturing company based in Cleveland, Ohio. Jergens' divisions include a tooling components manufacturer, an industrial supply distributor, a distributor of precision torque screwdrivers and assembly products, and a Chicago-based manufacturer of drill bushing and thread inserts.

Articles

Taking The E-train
Online training programs continue to flourish on the plant floor and in the office
(Discussion of Tooling University as a content provider for Caterpillar)
IndustryWeek, Oct. 2005