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% or Brad White, making the Ford Windstar is a learning k. _ experience. White and other Sheridan ollege staff are wrapping up faree years of instructing Ford vorkers to be better trained in puilding the Ford indstar. The school oncentrated on wo areas: the est in Class proâ€" â€" which was leveloped by the ‘ollege to Lupgrade employâ€" es‘ skill on comâ€" puters; and the obotics training, vyhich was taught 0 Ford who ire running the obots used to uild the Nindstar in the Dakville Assembly Plant. The assembly lant will produce : 1,200 Windstars a | lay by the end of 994. "The environâ€" nent here is very lifferent from a college," says White. "It‘s not a classroom. It‘s onâ€"theâ€"job trainâ€" ng right in the lant. The electriâ€" _ cians are comfortâ€" ible here. We try o make it very real for them. We ry to focus on what they need to earn," says White. _ In 1990, Ford was given $32â€" nillion from the federal and provincial governments to underâ€" ake retraining of workers for the Windstar project. Sheridan College monitored the allocation of the funds. There are seven Sheridan staff members on the team, including a robotics instructor, a technical writer, a technical illustrator, and a financial coâ€"ordinator. Ford built onâ€"site classrooms in the assembly plant for the purpose of upgrading workâ€" ers talents. White says employees like the idea of takâ€" ing a class at the plant after shift; there‘s no aggraâ€" vation of going home after work and then driving to a school to take classes. At present, Sheridan teaches Ford workers introduction to computers, introduction to the highly autoâ€" mated robotics, and communicaâ€" tion skills. Sheridan‘s team developed Ford‘s Best in Class program to give everyâ€" body the same basic skills. It was also to make workers feel a part of the : project, that their contribuâ€" tion was in some way crucial to the finished product. "The idea is to try and make people realize they‘re building the van for the customer," says White. The training taught basic keyboarding and DOS computer employee John Spivak. programming to the skill trades. The other thing Sheridan was permitted to do was to develop Program Logic Controllers (PLC). PLCs "talk" to robots. This conversation is actually a series of instructions, passed to the robots to get them to build the vehicles. There is a PLC for each robot. The robots are used for a number of jobs, including weldâ€" ing, sealing, materials handling, and stamping vehicle identificaâ€" tion numbers on to the motors. The Ford experience is a bonus for the college, too. To have facâ€" ulty with handsâ€"on experience is a bonus because the teachers will bring all kinds of techniques back to the classroom. The learning will help them deliver upâ€"toâ€"date education to future students, according to White. The team also trains the Windstar management staff Sheridan College instructor Andrew Orton explains the function of one of the robotic arms used in the production of the Windstar to Ford through the use of a high level communications course. The course evolves around solving problems related to communicaâ€" tion between management and staff, and the challenges of modâ€" ern automated production. Future training options include training suppliers and offering continuing education to employâ€" ees to and after shifts. This way, workers can end shift and spend a couple of hours Wednesday, March 23, 1994 â€" FORDâ€" F9 (Photo by Peter McCusker) in the onâ€"site classroom honing their skills. The college ends its training of employees June 30th, but Ford and Sheridan will continue to work together in the future, says White. "The college can even explore high school upgrading with these guys," said White. "And with the involvement of the college, we can offer them an educational gold mine." SA EIR 1 Dâ€"A N C O L L BE Gâ€"E. _ â€"=â€" _ T R KA .N G_ _ ~A N D : DE V _E L O P M EBE NT Partners in Training Sheridan College is proud to be in the driver‘s seat when it comes to inâ€"plant training at Ford. Our dedicated team of training professionals at Ford‘s Oakville Learning Centre have helped train the company‘s worldâ€"class employees now building the new Windstar. Thanks for making us part of your winning team â€" we‘re proud to share in your outstanding accomplishment! For more information about customized inâ€"plant training opportunities with Sheridan College, and to find out if your company qualifies for special funding call (905) 845â€"9430, ext. 8100. d . sHERIDAN C 0O L L EG E CaAW $ TCA CANADA