As Propex works to expand and create jobs for advanced manufacturing, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College continues to provide support along the way.  Staff from the Wiregrass Economic Development department contacted Victor Desmarais, Georgia Quick Start Director for Advanced Manufacturing Technology Training in November of 2011. They requested that Quick Start bring a newly created computerized version of the Maintenance Skills Assessment to Propex for a demonstration. After seeing the demonstration, Propex agreed to implement an assessment schedule for a date in late March and early April. 

On March 26, Quick Start returned to Propex for ten days to implement the Maintenance Skills Assessment for 68 employees.  With the exception of KIA, this is the largest number of maintenance skills assessments Quick Start has done using the new system.

Each Propex employee went through a 3 hour Electrical On-line and Troubleshooting assessment, a 2.5 hour Mechanical On-line assessment, and a 1 hour Mechanical Hands-on assessment. The Maintenance Skills Assessment tests are based on the theory knowledge, application identification, and troubleshooting abilities of each employee.

Quick Start returned to Propex  on May 1 to meet with the plant leaders and supervisors to provide the assessment results. Quick Start initially teamed with plant supervisors to review the overall results. They then paired up with plant supervisors and individual employees to share the results and to discuss training needs and priorities.   

Wiregrass Economic Development will work closely with Propex plant leaders in the next couple of months to develop skills gap training opportunities for their employees based on the results of the completed assessments.