EQUIPPING THE EARTHMOVING INDUSTRY THROUGH THE PJB LEARNING ACADEMY

Barloworld Equipment builds future-ready skills through training and development, empowering a competent workforce for a globalised world.

By Barloworld Equipment, 22 October 2022, 22:11PM

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Barloworld Equipment has a vision of building future-fit competencies to respond to an ever-evolving global village. We all know that training and development are key to an empowered and competent workforce.

Research shows that up to 80% of unscheduled production downtime is preventable of which half is due to operator errors. When operators aren’t trained, they make errors that result in accidents, equipment damage and downtime, all of which negatively impact your bottom line. When looking at training options for your operators, you should consider industry challenges such as the evolution of the industry, digital knowledge acquisition and current ways of working to better position your organisation and be more efficient.

With industries constantly innovating and new technologies emerging, it’s imperative that you empower your employees to keep up with the constant changes of the industry, and our PJB Learning Academy can help you to do so.

The Academy is accredited by Caterpillar to offer training to qualified technicians on both advanced and expert levels in line with Caterpillar’s international curriculum and standards. Situated in Isando, east of Johannesburg, the PJB Learning Academy is open to Barloworld Equipment employees as well as the industry at large, enabling learners to qualify as earthmoving technicians, electricians, machinists, or technology specialists.

WHAT SETS THE PJB LEARNING ACADEMY APART FROM OTHER INDUSTRY LEARNING ACADEMIES?

The Academy has a primary responsibility to develop and enhance key technical, maintenance, and engineering competencies. Since it opened its doors 15 years ago, training at the Academy has evolved drastically as Technical Specialist Trainers utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) to train and coach technicians in the field, from a control room.

Augmented reality training provides an opportunity to offer training that does not completely depend on practical machine availability. AR training provides a realistic, interactive experience resulting in greater retention and recall in a safe and controlled environment. Integrating qualities of a best-in-class learning experience, the AR training includes participation, task competence, feedback and follow-through, along with defined expectations.

Predictive intelligence and AI allows students to identify risks and opportunities to help in agile decision making. Combining augmented reality and artificial intelligence in our courses creates an excellent learning environment with practical applications.

“Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Academy was already leveraging the benefits of AI and AR as well as other Information Technology tools for remote, off-site training and coaching of technicians in the field. Wherever the machine is in Southern Africa, our Isando team of experts can walk an infield or workshop-based technician through any diagnostic or troubleshooting exercise.” - Dumisani Kala, Head of the PJB Learning Academy.

BENEFITS OF TRAINING YOUR OPERATORS:

Increase productivity
Minimize equipment downtime
Reduce the risk of accidents on site
Minimize job site errors
Decrease fuel costs
Maximize ROI on equipment technology
Save money (Fewer accidents, less equipment downtime, less equipment maintenance)

The Academy’s Technology School of Excellence offers the following programmes:

Terrain for Dozing, Loading, and Grading	With onboard guidance tools and real-time feedback, Terrain for grading provides dozer and motor grader operators with information to maximize machine efficiency by monitoring ore bodies, bench heights, cycle times and volume of material cut and filled. Inputs from the office guide operators where to dig or cut, how much material to move, when they have moved enough and even if they have moved too much material.
Terrain for Drilling	Uses state-of-the-art guidance technologies to help operators drill holes in the exact location and to the exact depth specified by the plan, resulting in smoother, safer, and more efficient blasting.
Command for Dozing	Command for Dozing is where an operator can control and operate a dozer either from a control room that can be as far as 2000 km from the machine or by using a control module where they can control the machine within a range of 400m from the machine’s location.

PJB LEARNING ACADEMY - UTILISING TECHNOLOGY TO EMPOWER LEARNERS

The PJB Learning Academy in collaboration with the University Of Johannesburg School Of Engineering and Technology developed three technology programs and operations management programs to address the entry-level talent pipeline and the current workforce upskilling needs.

The above collaboration with the institution of higher learning is designed to develop and implement the Internet of Things (IoT):

A 3-tiered approach covering the fundamentals:
- New artisans
- Advanced artisans
- Expert level (OJT Coaching and Mentoring)
Develop and implement the upskilling of instructors, artisans, and technicians on the fundamentals of the Industry 4.0 program covering the IoT
Develop learning programs (SLP) covering:
- Service Component (installation/set-up, fault finding, etc. on CAT Minestar technology)
- Networking (basic networking knowledge)
- Data Analysis (interpretation of data, reports)
- Operations Management Fundamentals (customer-centricity and KPI management).
The developed learning material on all programs will be available on an e-learning platform for use by our customers as well.

Investing in educating your operators on how and when to use the technology may be the key to making more of an impact. If an empowered and competent workforce is what you need, talk to us today.