Workforce Development
Workforce Development and Education
Empowering people to succeed with modern manufacturing technologies
Even the best systems and strategies fail without a workforce that is ready to use them. Manufacturers are facing growing skills gaps as experienced technicians retire, new technologies are deployed, and younger engineers enter the industry without the depth of hands-on plant floor experience. The result is slow adoption of new systems, underutilized tools, and missed opportunities for improvement.
Joltek helps organizations close this gap by developing training and education programs tailored to engineering teams, operations staff, and leadership. With experience building SolisPLC, one of the world’s most recognized industrial automation training platforms, and by working directly with plant managers and technicians, we understand how to translate technical complexity into practical learning that drives measurable impact.
Why it matters
What this costs when it is left alone
The reasons this work gets deferred are usually the reasons it gets expensive.
Skills gaps are widening
Many facilities struggle to find engineers and technicians who can support modern SCADA, MES, and ERP systems.
Technology adoption lags
New systems are often deployed but not fully utilized because staff are not properly trained.
Workforce turnover is rising
Knowledge retention and training consistency are essential to protect operations from disruption.
Cross-functional misalignment slows progress
IT, OT, and engineering teams often lack a common language or framework for collaboration.
Our approach
How the work runs
Joltek provides education that connects directly to business outcomes. We focus on:
Skills Assessments
- Identifying current knowledge levels across teams
- Benchmarking against industry requirements
- Highlighting priority gaps that impact performance
Customized Training Programs
- Hands-on instruction in PLCs, SCADA, MES, and IT/OT fundamentals
- Leadership workshops to improve cross-team alignment
- Education built for real plant challenges, not generic theory
Change Management Support
- Helping teams adopt new systems and processes with confidence
- Embedding training into daily workflows and standard operating procedures
- Building a culture of continuous learning and ownership
Long-Term Capability Building
- Train-the-trainer models to build internal expertise
- Ongoing support and resource development
- Creating learning frameworks that scale with future technologies
What we deliver
What you end up holding
- A clear view of workforce strengths and skill gaps
- Tailored training and upskilling programs
- Increased adoption of SCADA, MES, and ERP investments
- Improved alignment across IT, OT, and operations
- Long-term resilience through knowledge retention
Who we support
Who this is for
- Engineering Managers
- upskilling teams for modern control systems.
- Plant Managers and Operations Leaders
- improving adoption of new technology.
- Executives and Investors
- ensuring modernization delivers value through workforce readiness.
Why Joltek
What you are actually buying
Proven Expertise
Built SolisPLC into a trusted training platform with global reach.
Hands-On Knowledge
Direct experience training technicians, engineers, and leaders in real plant environments.
Practical Focus
Training designed to solve today’s problems and prepare teams for tomorrow’s technologies.
Client scenarios
What this looks like in practice
Anonymised engagements. Client names are withheld; the situations are not.
Industrial Manufacturer — New SCADA System, Undertrained Operators
A manufacturer had recently upgraded their SCADA platform as part of a broader modernization project, but six months after go-live, operators were still falling back to manual workarounds and paper logs. Adoption was low because the training provided during implementation was vendor-led and generic. Joltek conducted a skills assessment, identified the most critical gaps, and developed a hands-on training program tied to the actual production scenarios operators encountered daily. Within eight weeks, SCADA utilization increased significantly and manual workarounds were eliminated on the primary production lines.
Food & Beverage Company — Engineering Team Without OT Depth
A growing food and beverage company had hired several junior engineers to support plant operations but found they lacked foundational knowledge in PLC programming, industrial networking, and automation fundamentals. The gap was slowing down maintenance response times and limiting the team’s ability to support system changes. Joltek designed a structured six-month upskilling program covering PLC basics, HMI fundamentals, network concepts, and hands-on lab exercises. The team completed the program with measurable improvement in troubleshooting speed and first-call resolution on production issues.
Multi-Plant Operator — No Standard Training Across Sites
A manufacturer operating six plants had no consistent training program across facilities. Each site had developed its own on-the-job approach, resulting in inconsistent competency levels and difficulty moving staff between locations. Joltek conducted a company-wide skills assessment, built a standardized training curriculum aligned to their technology stack, and created a train-the-trainer program so internal champions could sustain the learning program independently. The result was a shared competency framework and significantly improved confidence in cross-site staff coverage.
Questions
Answered before you ask
What is the manufacturing skills gap and why does it matter?
The manufacturing skills gap refers to the growing mismatch between the technical knowledge employers need and what the available workforce possesses. As experienced technicians retire and automation increases, facilities struggle to find engineers and operators who can maintain and improve modern control systems. This leads to slower troubleshooting, underutilized technology investments, and higher dependency on external contractors for routine tasks.
What types of training does Joltek provide for manufacturing teams?
Joltek provides targeted technical training across PLC programming, SCADA operations, industrial networking, HMI development, data historian usage, and OT cybersecurity fundamentals. Training is always customized to the specific platforms and systems in use at each facility rather than being delivered as generic vendor courses.
How long does a workforce development engagement typically last?
Engagements vary from single-day workshops to multi-month structured programs. A skills assessment typically takes 1–2 weeks. Custom curriculum development takes 2–4 weeks. Training delivery is scheduled around production requirements to minimize operational impact. Joltek also offers train-the-trainer programs so internal champions can sustain the program after the engagement ends.
Can Joltek train both operators and engineers?
Yes. Joltek designs separate training tracks for different roles. Operator training focuses on HMI navigation, alarm management, and standard operating procedures. Engineering training covers PLC programming, troubleshooting, network architecture, and system integration. Leadership training focuses on KPI frameworks, OT governance, and technology strategy for plant managers and operations directors.
Have a project that needs technical ownership?
Send us the situation. If it is not something we should take on, we will say so.