Metalworking skills group celebrates silver anniversary

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) is marking its 25th anniversary in 2020 with fresh, forward-thinking methodologies for skills training, performance validation, and credentialing that address the competencies needed by today’s technology-driven manufacturers.

“Manufacturing operations have automation and digital systems in place today that weren’t even concepts 25 years ago,” says Montez King, executive director of NIMS. “As such, the skills required and the ways in which those skills are taught and measured are changing as well, both on the job and at educational institutions. NIMS is uniquely positioned, after 25 years in industry and career and technical education, to be at the forefront of this effort.”

NIMS was founded in 1995 as a non-profit organization to develop and maintain a globally competitive American workforce. Over the last 25 years, the organization has become the industry standard for skills training, validation, and credentialing, providing now over 60 portable credentials in specific technical areas. In keeping with the revolutionary, smart digital transformation occurring in the industry, NIMS has developed new smart standards, smart training principles, and smart performance measures as the three main pillars of its framework.

Smart standards are highly customized yet standardized and recognized by industry. They enable proper training for employees in manufacturing where technology is developing and changing, reveal job roles, and adapt to changing technology and workforce requirements. Smart training principles are guiding parameters to establishing a quality, highly customized, on-the-job training program that reveals true performance validation. Smart performance measures define, validate, and benchmark employee performance, measure individual stakeholder performance, and reveal end performance. To help employers assess their own on-the-job training programs, NIMS offers a free evaluation survey on their website.

NIMS has launched new standards and credentials based on the new smart standards framework, such as Dimensional Measurement and Machining, which features new roles in CAM Programming and 5-Axis CNC Machining. NIMS – partnering with Festo Corporation – will introduce Industry 4.0 standards that will culminate in a portable credential for employees and students by fall.