Electrical Skills Assessment

Just because a person has this vast amount of knowledge in there heads and does great on written test does not mean they can apply it.

As maintenance manager in manufacturing i would test them for their ability to trouble shoot. As you depending on them to maintain your equipment. Their trouble shooting skills are of utmost importance to you. Most people can replace a device thats failed with little direction. Figuring out what device failed is the test.

Set up a test on a machine with a known problem and have them diagnose the machine. Observe their methodology in accomplishing this because this is one area where a person would need training,

The rest of the training is informational and can be tested on paper.

The ones that can do both will stand out. The ability to recall informational data greatly increase one ability to troubleshoot.

Don't forget the need for interpersonal skills. Maintenance personnel work with all the departments. The ability to effectively interact & interpret communications from production & quality personnel, can be as important as mechanical & electrical troubleshooting.

Ozzb has it right, you can use your downtime records to identify & simulate failures of increasing complexity. The cheapest & most effective testing, is actually combined w/training.

Peer, supervisory & customer reviews can also be valuable tools.

I agree with the above, as a manufacturing engineer, I have seen emplyees apply for positions that "Walked on Water" according to their resume, but didn't know the difference between a bus driver and a screwdriver in the real world. I would rather have someone that can trouble shoot a problem and fix it than one that can give me theroms and proofs.

Kinda like calling any city, or anything else outside of psychiatrist's office, a "metroplex."

best of both worlds

http://shareme.com/showtop/electrical-testing.html

The ISD (Instructional Systems Design) approach is intended to be a means for providing training that has a direct effect on performance. For about 20 years, ISD was my life. A company I worked with (before starting my own) developed the ISD approach for the military, and that approach is described in a manual called (if I remember) simply "Instructional Systems Design" or "Design of Instructional Systems" and it was produced for the Air Force in the 1960's. (I am now working on the little vehicle in my avatar pic, but I'd he happy to help you out.)

The ISD approach starts with job-specific tests, and then develops instruction (and simulations, practice exercises, job aids, etc) to fit those tests. So the ISD approach can give you relevant, practical tests to measure both skills (ability to actual do something) and knowledges (the ability to describe something). Would you rather fly with a pilot who can describe how to fly, or one who can actually demonstrate the ability to fly? (On the other hand, a lawyer needs persuasive skills, but knowledge of case law can be essential.)

Now, the ISD approach has been watered down to mean more-or-less anything the promoter of one approach or another wants it to mean. But not long ago, the approach was quite rigorous, and someone completing a course of training could actually do the work, rather than simply talk about doing the work.

The "system" in ISD refers not so much to the systematic approach used in development (although the approach itself is highly systematic) as it does to the fact that a system of interventions is required for effective job performance. For example, it would do no good, (and would be detrimental) to have airline pilots memorize reaction to caution lights (of which there are 100 or so). The pilot should know that when a caution light comes on, he should open the flight manual, and methodically follow the approach outlined, typically with the help of the copilot. But when a danger light comes on, he should be able to quickly and accurately perform several steps from memory. (This difference is sometimes expressed as a "head-book ratio".) Thus, an instructional "system" includes flight manuals, ground school instruction, simulator time, time in part task simulators, and may include instruction or guidance embedded into a piece of hardware, such as a weapon (or in a factory setting, a PLC). If you are an engineer, you will quickly understand the benefits of the approach: it's sensible, methodical, repeatable, and fair.

Some of my experience has been in training airline pilots, but more of it has been in training factory maintenance workers and operators of complex* machines So if you need help, email me through CR4, and I can briefly put on my ISD hat again. I'd be happy to talk with you over the phone and might be able to suggest possible local resources, or I could do some brief consulting work, if that would be helpful.

* (some with 5 PLCs and a couple thousand inputs and outputs)

K.V.Subramanyam

would you possibly have any info for an assessment or study guide test material for electrial and instrumentation?

or any related material that may be useful. im trying to prepare to take an exam for work and just want to be fully prepared. you may also send any info to my email.

hjh002@gmail.com

thank you

tiptoe

I agree that the most valuable assessment of an electrician's skills are obtained through a hands-on exercise in troubleshooting simple and complex circuits. Written tests are fine and should be used as well, but my experience has shown that the man who can solve the problem quickly, correctly, and safely is the man you wish to hire.

Interpersonal skills? Yes, definitely. Typically a skilled electrician must work with the machine or process operators and be able to respectfully ask what is the result of the malfunction; i.e. machine does not jog, thread, or run etc.? If he can understand their needs it does help him solve the problem more quickly.

Regards,

Ing. Robert Forbus

If you intend to create a test be careful that answers are not dependent on knowing your particular process. That can only be learned on the job. Also remember that with complex machines all electricians use schematics unless they are personally familiar with the machine and even sometimes then they have to. Don't expect them to figure out much without one.

If you are in a process industry it is important to remember that the line between an electrician and an instrument tech has become very blurred.

Personality can be a very important in determining if you like them or not and that is about all. Unfortunately in large organizations it is often the most important factor.

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