Advanced Training Blogs
3 Strategies That Make Workforce Onshoring Less Painful
September 16, 2025
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), reshoring will primarily benefit smaller, more nimble manufacturers as they are able to leverage localized supply chains for greater flexibility and faster turn times.
Need to Attract Young Industrial Maintenance Talent? Train Their Way
July 24, 2025
Reaching Generations Z & Alpha is how you safeguard your maintenance workforce. Regardless of your current maintenance team’s structure, their experience levels, and their commitment to your company.
10 Tips for Maximizing Your Maintenance Training Budget
June 17, 2025
If you’re experiencing budget cuts or belt-tightening at work, maximizing your training budget may not feel intuitive. However, it is an impactful step to take in securing your maintenance team’s skills and reducing the risk of expensive accidents and citations.
Navigating Maintenance Team Uncertainties: 5 Ways Training Helps
April 3, 2025
These industries have a massive impact on our standards of living in the U.S., and if the industrial sector grinds to a halt, it could impact more than prices at the store or pump.
Guide to Building an Efficient Training Program with Effective Results
December 10, 2024
Based on Plant Services’ special research report and the 2024 market survey of approximately 200 manufacturers, respondents providing technical training were allowed to select multiple reasons for offering their maintenance team members training.
The Top 9 Most-Desired Maintenance Skills and Why They Should Be Part of Your Team’s Toolbox
September 26, 2024
Respondents were asked to choose their top 3 skills. In fact, only about half included core maintenance skills as a top pick. The results were as follows.
Top 3 Tips for Expediting Training Program Administration
September 6, 2024
According to a survey we completed in Q1 2024 with Plant Services, it isn’t just the managers who are administering training. A whopping 13% of critical maintenance technicians, such as skilled trades and others who work to keep your equipment up and running
Troubleshooting Thursday: Predicting Maintenance Downtime with PdM
August 8, 2024
Predictive Maintenance is a powerful strategy, but it might not be practical for all devices in your facility. For example, if a machine isn’t critical – short periods of downtime are manageable – or repairs can’t be predicted, then it might not be worth maintaining with a predictive model.
Reducing the Risks Associated with Maintenance Team Retirements
August 8, 2024
major shift in the workforce is expected in the next decade, and many employers expect to see a dramatic increase in retirement of the workers who maintain and repair mission-critical machinery.
Adopting Industrial Automation: 5 Factors to Consider
December 28, 2023
With aggressive growth in the sector over the past decade, industrial automation has been proven to improve facility safety and productivity and drive the demand for skilled tradespeople and the technician workforce.
Why You Need to Develop an Electrical Preventive Maintenance Schedule (and How to Get Started)
September 8, 2023
Leaving the electrical maintenance to qualified electrical workers (QEW) or licensed electricians is a must; with properly trained workers handling the preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs to electrical systems, the chance of electrical faults, downtime, and accidents will be reduced
The Pitfalls of Delayed Training
June 6, 2023
When machines aren’t performing properly, your team’s morale and safety might suffer. Downtime is costly, but incurring penalties due to unsafe working conditions makes it much more expensive.
Learn to Use the Tools of the Trade with Simulation-Based Training
April 3, 2023
With simulations, your team will explore a virtual environment where they can practice troubleshooting common faults, using the tools and components they’re already familiar with.
Case Study: Global Food Production Company Hires TPC to Revamp Onboarding & Upskilling Training Programs
February 17, 2023
A premier nutrition, agricultural origination, and food processing company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with 800+ facilities, 50+ innovation centers, and 38,000 employees, provides their customers with solutions to nutritional challenges.
Reaching Gen Z in the Vo-Tech Classroom
February 2, 2023
The challenge is that Gen Z, the latest generation to start to join the workforce, learns with a deep foundation in technology. Teaching these students requires different strategies than previous generations just to keep their attention.
How to Identify Workers' Training Needs
August 31, 2022
Training needs assessments are based on roles and responsibilities, job hazards, controls, work processes, personal protective equipment (PPE), and training requirements. By reviewing these areas, you can identify the knowledge needed to recognize hazards and prevent injuries.
Better Hands-on Training: How Simulation-Based Training Elevates the Workforce
March 22, 2022
It’s quite rare to find a person with technical mastery who also is great at teaching, though, and in most facilities, on-the-job training comes with these pitfalls
Top 8 Reasons Why Maintenance Training Improves Facility Safety
January 25, 2022
Training courses allow workers to learn the best practices for their jobs, whether it be safety precautions, troubleshooting methods, or simply tricks of the trade. When multiple workers participate in training as a team, they can rally around the best practices learned in their training courses.
The Reasons Behind Manufacturing Downtime
December 9, 2021
Manufacturing downtime can have a ripple effect on any company. Inventory declines, supply chains are slowed, employees are left without work and customers are disappointed.
What to Do When You Are Stuck on a Fault…
October 8, 2021
This post is part of a series designed to help our customers get the most out of the Electrical Troubleshooting Skills Training System™.
Troubleshooting Electrical Faults in a Manufacturing Environment
October 8, 2021
Open circuit faults are most common and are relatively easy to troubleshoot. Typically, this type of fault can be identified quickly as some part of the circuit will not be operating since it is not receiving the voltage required for correct operation.
5 Reasons to Upgrade your Building’s HVAC System
June 18, 2021
According to the Department of Energy, the number of commercial buildings and industrial facilities in the United States is nearly 6 million.
How Often Should You Provide Ongoing Training to Your Employees?
March 23, 2021
Companies that value well-trained employees often have ongoing training programs in place. Ongoing does not mean continuous, so how often should you provide ongoing training to employees?
Four Benefits of Private Group Training
March 8, 2021
Training your employees provides multiple advantages. Regular training helps ensure your staff are applying the latest information and best practices to their work, improving your overall productivity and compliance rates.
What Are Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) And Why Do Your Employees Need to Be Trained on It?
February 5, 2021
PLCs continuously monitor information from analog or digital input devices. The PLC makes decisions based on the input received, which are delivered to monitored equipment through the PLC’s output interface.
How Virtual or In-Person Private Group Training Works
January 5, 2021
While many aspects of industrial training can be taught enmass through online or offsite seminars, some types of information and skills are better taught in small onsite groups.
Steps to Complete an Arc Flash Analysis
October 1, 2020
Due to the significant risk of fatalities and life-changing injuries, OSHA has strict requirements for electrical standards, requiring employers to prove they took reasonable precautions to prevent injury.
The Benefits of Simulation Training
September 16, 2020
Simulation training offers opportunities to practice complex and sensitive processes in a safe, virtual environment. But what is simulation training, and do simulation training methods have a place in your workforce training program?
How to Leverage Simulation Training with your current Training Program
September 16, 2020
In August of 2020, TPC Training acquired Simutech Multimedia, an industry leader in the world of simulation training systems.
Benefits of TPC's Virtual Instructor-Led Training
June 11, 2020
You and your company face work situations and challenges that have not been a factor since the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak. We are living in a “new normal,” and it’s likely how we live and work has changed forever.
5 Reasons To Include Virtual ILT In Your Online Training
June 9, 2020
Live online training combines the convenience of online training with the face-to-face engagement of the traditional classroom.
Important Online Training Courses Your Employees Need
April 14, 2020
With so many online training courses available, it can be difficult to choose which type of remote training your employees need. The most important training courses for one industry may not be needed in another (what office worker needs to understand lockout/tagout procedures?).
How Online Training Helps in Tracking Your Employees
April 14, 2020
Online training benefits both employees and employers, but only when two criteria are met. Online training courses must keep employees motivated, and training results must be tracked in a way that allows the employer easy access to testing data.
5 Benefits of Live Online Training
March 18, 2020
Off-site classroom instruction typically comes with significant add-on costs. Travel to and from the instruction venue, food, accommodation for employees during instruction, and the temporary absence of employees can raise training expenses while lowering productivity.
Why In-Person Trainings Work
March 17, 2020
Despite all the advances in online training, in-person training remains the most efficient way of teaching employees the skills they need to excel in their job. Off-site in-person training is expensive, however.
Arc Flash PPE Explained
January 17, 2019
An arc flash is a potentially destructive workplace accident, capable of causing severe injury and equipment damage in the space of a few seconds.
Improving Employee Engagement and Performance
August 29, 2018
Employee engagement and performance are inseparable. Without high employee engagement, performance and productivity plummet. Employees with low engagement have lower morale and are more likely to seek—and find—new work.
5 Signs Your Employees Need More Training
June 16, 2018
Signs your employees need training can be subtle, especially if your corporate culture has grown accustomed to working around gaps in skill sets and knowledge.
Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) Theory and Troubleshooting
April 18, 2018
Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), also referred to as Adjustable Speed Drives, are prominent in today’s workplace. They are used in elevator, water pump, high-volume air compressor applications and material-handling systems wherever speed and torque characteristics of AC motors are regulated.
How Continued Employee Training Boosts Productivity & Retention
January 3, 2018
When times get tight and the economy flounders, businesses look to cut costs. Typically, one of the first areas to feel the bite of cutbacks is employee training.
Teaching Electrical Troubleshooting Methods and Techniques to Your Employees
September 4, 2017
Troubleshooting equipment—especially electrical equipment—has a certain mystique to it. Watching an experienced employee troubleshoot a piece of familiar equipment can make it seem as if the process is instinctive.
Conducting an HVAC Energy Audit
May 20, 2017
A commercial energy audit offers a chance to determine your HVAC system’s energy needs and identify possible areas of concern by examining energy use and performing a component-by-component examination of system health.
The Value of Variable Frequency Drives
May 1, 2017
Electric motors operating on alternating current often run at unnecessary speeds, waste power, and heat up due to excessive harmonics. Variable frequency drives resolve these issues by controlling AC motor speed and torque by varying the frequency (hertz) and voltage delivered to the motor.
New Digital Techniques Produce Improved Training Outcomes
March 16, 2017
Effective skills training is measured through its outcomes and whether defined workforce goals are accomplished. Characteristics that make up ideal training program design include intensive training on real work applications and return workers back to their jobs quickly are agreed upon.
Investing in Human Capitol
March 14, 2017
TPC Training is the leader in maintenance, repair, and operator training.
How to Improve Your Electrical Maintenance Strategy
November 14, 2016
When it comes to maintenance strategies, mechanical assets tend to receive more care than electrical control and distribution systems. Electrical systems can run for years without problems, making it tempting to focus on systems where wear and tear produce more frequent issues.
Getting EPA 608 Certified With TPC Training
November 12, 2016
If you work with air conditioners or refrigerants, then you need your EPA 608 certification. Any person who opens a system or container holding a controlled refrigerant is required by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency to hold either a Type I, II, III, or Universal EPA 608 certification.
Arc Flash Safety Checklist
September 12, 2016
An arc flash event is a dangerous situation occurring when electricity travels through the air to make contact with a conductor or the ground. Arc flashes release exceptionally high heat energy, pressure waves, blinding light, soundwaves, and toxic fumes.
Arc Flash Myths and Misconceptions
March 1, 2016
Electrical arc flash is a dangerous hazard for anyone working on or near energized conductors and equipment. A proper understanding of the potential hazards is a big part of your overall electrical training regimen.
Arc Flash Safety Tips
February 6, 2016
An arc flash is likely to be catastrophic to any electrical worker unlucky enough to experience one.
A Blended Approach to Workforce Development
May 5, 2015
By bringing together multiple formats, TPC can issue the most effective method to address workforce training and current skills gaps.