As an integral part of NPT2's activities and results, the National Network developed national skill standards for plant operators in the U.S. Pulp and Paper Industry.
National Skill Standards support: • Alliances between industry, academe and government • NPT2's Scholarships – Internships – Jobs strategy with industry-specific skill sets needed for the workplace • American Forest and Paper Association's (AF&PA) Technologically Advanced Workforce (TAW) initiative • Job Profiling • Job/Task needs analysis • Targeted workforce instruction • Career path development • NPT2's Operator Certification Initiative • Continuous workforce development/improvement
Benefits to industry and workers: • Employers will be able to make better hiring decisions • Workers will be able to demonstrate to employers that they meet industry standards for excellence • Helps workers in obtaining jobs and promotions • Since the standards are industry-wide, the worker is more portable in the work place and less venerable to lay offs and downsizing • Workers would be able to measure their own skills against national standards, thus identifying skill and knowledge opportunities • Training departments would be better enabled to measure in-house skill capabilities and adjust training to meet specific needs
Benefits to two-year college Pulp and Paper AAS programs and students: • Alliances between industry and two-year colleges will be able to conduct GAP analyses that provides a road map for curriculum development and ensure that the curriculum meets local-area industry needs • Faculty can crosswalk existing and new curricula with national skill standards • Colleges and students are assured that the training and education received is what the local industry needs