Chewing the Fat with WorkForge

Bridging the Skills Gap: The Importance of Upskilling

Upskilling is a vital part of any thriving manufacturing plant.  In this episode of “Chewing the Fat with WorkForge” we were able to sit down with Lisa Miller, Director of HR and Talent Development at PPC Flex to hear how she has put in place a top-notch program to enable employees to grow their careers, increase their salary and benefit the organization.  She’ll share how you: 

 

• Hire, develop, retain, repeat 

• Invest in people to help your bottom line 

• Can do the same in your operations 

They couldn’t work, so we trained them instead

In this episode of Chewing the Fat with WorkForge we are joined by Katelin Koch, Human Resources Director at Natoma Manufacturing and Laura Clark, Chief People Officer at BERKS Manufacturing who share a unique story of how a state background check system was down, which meant they could not put new hires on the floor.  So they put them in the classroom instead of the traditional mix of training and OJT and the results were eye-opening.  They’ll share: 

• How they found themselves in this predicament 

• What they did in response to not lose the new hires (and all the hard work and money that went into hiring them)

• How they restructured their onboarding 

• The results they have seen 

• The feedback they have received from their production leaders 

• Simple ways you can drive similar results 

From Performer to Leader

Join host Katie Allen, Chief Marketing Officer at WorkForge, and special guest Tim Petron from TSP Edge on this insightful episode of the Chewing the Fat Podcast as they discuss "From Performer to Leader" in food manufacturing. Together, they examine the role leadership training plays addressing turnover, driving alignment and fostering a culture of trust. 

In this episode, we explore the common challenge faced by organizations when promoting high performers to leadership roles: the failure to communicate and prepare them for the fundamental shift in responsibilities. Tim Petron will discuss practical strategies to ensure a successful transition from individual contributor to effective leader. From providing clarity on new expectations to investing in tailored leadership training and fostering a culture of regular feedback, we will uncover actionable steps for organizations to support their emerging leaders. 

Upskilling, a win-win for the organization and the employee

Having a clear plan and process for upskilling employees may be the secret sauce to addressing labor shortages, production demand increases, preparing for the baby boomer generation to retire and finding ways to attract and retain Millennial and Gen Z talent. 

In this installment of Chewing the Fat with WorkForge, special guest David Adams, a workforce development expert and Forbes contributor joins WorkForge CEO Nathan Walts to discuss: 

• Why upskilling has become such an important topic 
• The challenges individuals and companies face in considering which skills are most important 
• Practical approaches for companies seeking to upskill their workforce 
• The role AI plays in learning and upskilling a workforce 
• How upskilling can be a win-win for the company and the employee 

Savory send-off: Reflections from Andy Drennan of FPSA

Andy Drennan, has served as the Sr. Vice President of the Food Processors and Suppliers Association (FSPA) since 1999, and will be starting a well-deserved retirement in a few short weeks.  Before he rides off into the sunset, he sat down with Chris Clark, Sr. Marketing Manager at WorkForge for this installment of Chewing the Fat.  

 

Andy discusses his favorite memories, key learnings and words of wisdom he has for the next generation of the food manufacturing industry as they address the Silver Tsunami, increased production demand, labor shortages and more.   

End your beef with training audits

Training audits don’t have to suck.  We often see food manufacturers relying on paper or spreadsheets to track training compliance.  Which is opening the business up to unnecessary risk and wasting valuable time with the tracking of training records.   

 

It doesn’t have to be this way.  By embracing technology and driving digital tracking processes you can make this pain go away and create additional value to the business.   

 

In this episode,  WorkForge’s Operations and Compliance Manager Ramsey Atieh and Sr. Marketing Manager and food manufacturing veteran Chris Clark discuss ways you can stop dreading audit season and be always ready for your next audit.  They cover key topics such as: 

1. Risks of non-digital training and tracking
2. How to streamline your OJT training information
3. How you can turn your audit data into a skills matrix for day to day and strategic data driven decisions
4. Ways to use the times savings gained by cutting out this manual work 

A Recipe for DEI Success

Join host Katie Allen, Chief Marketing Officer at WorkForge, and special guest Dr. Ronald Williams of Coppin State University on this insightful episode of the Chewing the Fat Podcast as they explore the "A Recipe for DEI Success" in food manufacturing. Together, they examine the crucial role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the industry across three key areas: 

1. Upcoming Retirement Surge and Impact on Knowledge Transfer, Hiring, and Training: Katie and Dr. Williams discuss how the looming wave of retirements will affect the industry, offering strategies for effective knowledge transfer and succession planning to ensure a smooth transition in hiring and training. 
2. Leadership and Supervisor Development: Discover how DEI initiatives can be integrated into leadership and supervisor development programs to create more inclusive and supportive workplace environments. The conversation includes actionable insights for building a culture of openness and respect within teams. 
3. Workforce Development: Learn how DEI can enhance workforce development and employee retention by fostering a diverse talent pool and creating equitable opportunities for growth and advancement. Katie and Dr. Williams share practical tips for aligning workforce development with DEI initiatives.   

Tune in to hear this dynamic discussion about the challenges and opportunities of DEI in food manufacturing. Whether you're a food industry leader, HR professional, or someone interested in DEI practices, this episode offers a wealth of valuable insights and strategies for achieving success in these critical areas. Don't miss it! 

What happens in manufacturing when baby boomers retire?

In the first episode of the Chewing the Fat Podcast we are diving into a hot discussion topic in the food manufacturing space; baby boomers hitting retirement age.   

As the baby boomer generation begins transitioning into a well-deserved retirement, it’s creating a major shift in the food manufacturing industry.   

Employers stand to lose the most knowledgeable and loyal staff members, and will need to find ways to hire more from the Millennial and Gen Z generations, which has historically been a struggle for manufacturing.  

In this episode, Katie Allen CMO at WorkForge and Tuesday Strong, Founder of Strong Performance Management, LLC will discuss how you can: 

1. Capture the invaluable experience and knowledge of your most experienced workers 
2. Enhance your training and onboarding processes to improve time to productivity 
3. Attract and retain millennials and gen z