The National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology Training, with four regional nodes and 15 community colleges, provides the pulp and paper sector of the US forest products industry with a globally competitive, technologically advanced workforce through recruiting, retaining and placing students; developing and implementing standards, certificates, curriculum and professional development; and disseminating products to other community colleges. The National Network increases outreach to employers, professional organizations, colleges and high schools including the development and approval of standards and certifications. The curriculum is expanded to include standards, curriculum materials and professional development that emphasize the wood-based renewable energy used in pulp and paper mills that can be used nationally to reduce dependence on petroleum. Goals for recruitment and professional development workshops for high school faculty and include at least 200 new students per year with 35% being from underrepresented groups and 40% from rural areas and with 70% completing the program. The goal of 70% of the graduates being employed within six months of graduation is implemented through research on the return on investment by companies from hiring graduates of the program.
The Situation Within the next ten years it is estimated that between 25% to 50% of the employees of the pulp and paper industry will retire or change careers and leave the profession. Whereas training for these specialized technical positions has always brought challenges now more that ever the rush to fill vacancies and the development of a plan for filling future vacancies is paramount. Addressing the Need The phenomenon of online learning at all levels of education is increasing each year. This expansion is not predicted to decrease, but in fact is anticipated to increase exponentially. The growth in online delivery brings new challenges for curriculum developers to generate rigorous yet motivating online learning experiences in a timely manner that can be sustained. Typically, pulp and paper training consists of hiring laborers with limited skills and providing them with in-house job shadowing opportunities or by luring employees away from competitor’s factories and mills. New employees usually lack the specific skills needed in the industry. Having the opportunity to access training such as online courses, would provide employees the convenience of learning on their own time at their individual pace, in a setting selected by them. The Solution The foremost authorities in the field of pulp and paper have collaborated to develop a suite of online courses. These courses consist of lecture recordings, student assessments and laboratory experiences. Practitioners, paper makers, specialty vendors, and academia have worked to provide the most comprehensive collection of online courses ever assembled. Pulp and paper mills can access the classes to provide training or area community colleges can offer training for credit which could possibly lead to certification or a degree. Titles of online courses: Pulp Mill Operations Paper Mill Operations Recovery Environmental Coating Wet End Chemistry Tissue Pulp Labs Paper Labs Recycling Paper Machine Wet End Operations Dry End Operations Summary The development of online courses for the pulp and paper industry will help address the need for additional training opportunities for current and new employees. Online training supplemented with hands on experiences can provide a viable option to training new employees and retraining current employees of the pulp and paper industry.
