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by Lauren Brousell, Contributing Editor   | Abstract: | In desperate need of skilled workers, a small manufacturer invests in education and training to develop its own. The result: a more competitive enterprise. |
| Keywords: | education and training mastery, high achiever, progressive manufacturing |
For small manufacturers such as E.J. Ajax & Sons Inc., it's a jungle out there. Not only does the $8 million maker of appliance hinges and other formed-metal products face increasingly stiff offshore competition, but also, like many other manufacturers, it has trouble finding the skilled employees it needs to continuously fine-tune its operations.
As all survivors must, however, the family-owned, 65-year-old company has learned to adapt by finding new ways to motivate and train its employees. For the past 10 years, E.J. Ajax has invested at least 5.5% of its annual payroll spending in formal training and other staff development programs.
The company has developed an education and training program that includes an 8,000-hour apprentice program plus 100 hours per year of mandatory training and classes for all employees, as well as 10 hours of on-site safety training per year. Partnering with local colleges near Minneapolis, such as Minneapolis Community Technical College and Hennepin Technical College, E.J. Ajax pays tuition in full for its employees. In all, the company spends about $1,800 per year per employee on training and education.
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