EDUCATION & TRAINING
VALVE TRAINING:
Why it’s needed, where to get it
BY PETER CLEAVELAND
Much has been written and said about what many call the “skills
gap”—the difficulty companies have in
finding qualified employees. In the valve
industry, as in other technical industries,
the problem has been compounded by
the fact so many knowledgeable veterans
are retiring. This knowledge gap affects
everyone in the chain, from the original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to the
end users.
In decades past, many companies had
training programs of their own. The
Crane Company, for example, had a very
thorough training program that was
developed in the early 20th century. The
program included 10 textbooks, written
by Crane, which covered every aspect of
the business, including valve types and
how they worked, metallurgy, basic engineering, company philosophy and history.
“Crane did not rely on ‘college trained’
employees; in fact, William Teller Crane,
the company’s founder, preferred that
Crane’s employees be trained in-house,
instead of in a college classroom,”
according to Greg Johnson, president of
United Valve and chairman of VMA’s
Education & Training Committee.
Meanwhile, the end-user community,
particularly on the refining and petro-
chemical side, used to provide an extend-
ed “on-the-job-training” (OJT) period
for many new employees, especially
young engineers. “Back when Exxon-
Mobil was just Exxon, for example, a
newly graduated and hired mechanical
engineer was ready for training. The first
year or so was spent as an expeditor and
inspector, visiting the plant’s major sup-
pliers and vendors and seeing how the
pipes, valves, tanks, pumps and fittings
were actually made and how they
worked,” Johnson explained.
Velan’s Field Engineering Services group
offers regular training sessions at company
headquarters.
sophisticated actuators and control systems, Johnson says. Customers and end
users often do not know enough about the
products they are buying to make
informed decisions on how best to use or
maintain those products after purchase.
In the valve world of today, many
sources exist for both employees and
users to get the knowledge and information they need to ensure customers are
making the right choices. The more
users know and understand what’s available to them, the better the situation for
the entire industry. For users, knowledge equates to more reliable, more
economical and safer installations. For
suppliers, a knowledgeable employee
base helps them sell the right products
into the right applications.
But where can users, staff and others
get the needed education? Valve Magazine surveyed VMA members to find out
what training they offer and why, and
then took a look at some other available
sources.
VMA MEMBERS
LEAD THE WAY
While not all companies offer formal
training, there are many that understand the importance of excellent training and have implemented thorough
training offerings for both their own
employees and their customers. “Some
VMA members have training facilities
that are as well-equipped as those found
in the most esteemed high-tech industries. These dedicated facilities also
