Should I Add a Hand and Power Tools Course to My Program?

A Program Case Study:

In the fall of 2021, Jim Jozwiak, an Assistant Professor of Industrial Automation at the College of Western Idaho, was told that a one-credit class called “Hand Tools” was increasing to three credits to meet the demands of industry partners. This course was included for students in the Programmable Logic Controllers,  Mechatronics and Engineering Technology, and Robotics programs. The college’s professional advisory committee expressed frustration that while graduates came to work with strong electronic skills, they were lacking fundamental tool knowledge. Once on the job, companies were forced to train employees how to use the tools they needed every day. Very quickly, Jim had to put together curriculum to expand the one-credit course into an introductory, broad-based course that covered all of the tools that students might find in any technology profession.

His course introduces: 

• when a tool should be used
• which type to use
• how to use the tool safely and to maximum effectiveness
• how to care for tools so they will continue to be useful
• how to properly store tools so time is not wasted searching for them
• which tools to stock in your toolbox
• and incorporates hands-on activities that consist of 50+ lab hours. 

Jim is taking his curriculum and partnering with G-W to create a new, first edition resource for students and instructors to gain the foundational knowledge and skills they need to appropriately and safely use and maintain industry tools—Industrial Hand and Power Tools, 1e.

Since today’s students are entering the technical trade with less and less experience using tools, industrial technology programs may need to focus more on the fundamentals. How is your program doing?

Ask yourself these three questions related to your current program:

1. Do my incoming students have less exposure to common hand and power tools than they did in the past? 
Instructors tell us that students are less likely to have hobbies that use tools, experience working in a shop, or spent time working on the family car or doing household repairs.

2. Do my industry partners share that recent graduates and new hires are lacking these skills?
It’s clear that there is a growing skills gap for manufacturing as new technologies like AI are added to the curriculum. Are your students ready for hands-on practice and projects using basic tools? Jim’s program isn’t an outlier. In fact, 92% of instructors surveyed tell us that their advisory boards either share that these skills are crucial for new employees or that their new hires are deficient in this area.

3. Does the test my students take to get certified require knowledge of hand and power tools?
The leading industry-recognized certifications for technical trades programs exceedingly require students to know how to identify and safely use tools. Some examples include:

• Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA): “Safety and Hand Tools” is a basic Operations competency.
• Home Builder’s Institute (HBI): Pre-Apprenticeship Certification Training (PACT) includes “an introduction to tools and materials” as a key area of focus.
• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER): “Identify tools, equipment, and best practices” is often included in the certification focus statement and content domains.
• American Welding Society (AWS): SENSE program objectives require students to be able to “demonstrate proper use and inspection” of equipment.
  
  

Additional Questions to Ask:

4. Do I often have to backtrack and go over tool identification, proper use, or safety in later courses in my program?

5. Do my students lack a clear understanding of how to use measuring tools and how to make necessary unit conversions?

Did you answer “Yes” to any of the above?