Epiroc India delivers a full suite of training and competency management services through a state-of-the-art training center.
Murthy G V S N Business Line Manager Parts & Service Division India Operations Epiroc Mining What is your view on the role of skill development/operator training in CE operations and
– Murthy G V S N
Business Line Manager – Parts & Service Division – India Operations – Epiroc Mining
What is your view on the role of skill development/operator training in CE operations and maintenance?
With new technology and safety / performance enhancement features being added continuously by CE manufacturers, the need for Skill Development and Operator training is becoming extremely important. Apart from reducing downtime, it helps increase productivity and also minimizes accidents at work site. Epiroc is a company that always prioritizes safety. We are continuously evolving on automation and technological features. There is a lot happening on various aspects of the applications and it is crucial that training and skill development is given to all concerned with operations. Epiroc carries out various and frequent training and skill development workshops to help our people, operators or customers become experts in getting the maximum productivity in the operations.
What is the current scenario of availability of skilled/certified equipment operators in India?
With increased activity in construction and mining segment, getting certified and skilled operators indeed is becoming a challenge for contractors, sub-contractors. Attrition rate at their end further adds to the woe. However, Epiroc is geared up to work with the equipment owners to mitigate this challenge.
According to you, how are the skill development initiatives progressing in Indian CE industry? What are the challenges faced?
I think necessity is the mother of invention. With the pandemic and various restrictions on travel, CE manufacturers took the crutches of technology to solve their problems. If you could not be there physically, virtually problems got solved. Epiroc has innovative solutions like remote assistance where you can doctor a machine and its problem in a remote place sitting from your head office in Pune. Logistics still is a challenge, but we have our warehouses to help out our customers who can get access to spare parts and genuine items very quickly. For service issues, we are committed to help solve customer queries and problems so that they do not waste any productive time. We have a solid network of partners who have their teams run at the beck and call of customers. If this does not help, we have a toll free number that anyone, anywhere can call and they will be assisted by our team anywhere in India within 24hrs.
The interface of technology has been of great help as far as skill development initiatives is concerned and it’s progressing at a fast pace. So thanks to the pandemic, new ways of addressing the challenges are developed and conquered.
What are the steps needed to bridge the gap of demand-availability of skilled operators?
As a company Epiroc is one of the pioneers in technology for Mining and infrastructure applications. While frequent Industry interface by ITI/ Diploma or Engineering colleges with CE manufacturer’s needs to be further enhanced, course correction in curriculum too is the need of the hour. With rapid change in technology and with digitalization and automation being the pioneers in the current scenario, Epiroc conducts frequent levels of training for their team. Physical, virtual, simulator trainings and on the job trainings with varied levels of certifications is how Epiroc bridges this gap.
Innovation and being a thought leader in automation and technology is what Epiroc stands for.
Tell us about your company’s initiatives in operator training and skill developments.
Epiroc identified the gaps in skill sets, be it operators or maintenance crew, and hence started working closely with the end customer. Feedbacks from end customers were given due importance and accordingly custom-made skill developments course both onsite and offline was launched, with great success. Remote guidance for trouble shooting, with expert technicians of Epiroc guiding from their location, was launched way before Covid. During lockdown, this became a blessing in disguise as travel restrictions had come into effect. However, this did not deter servicing / trouble shooting of critical breakdown at even remove site locations, because of this technology.
Simulators, with operators have been able to achieve optimal results. Skill set enhancement, long hours of practice at controls even before handling the machine ensured the end user gets the desired production from day one.
Besides this Epiroc Mining India Limited Customer Centre has started a service academy where we get skilled engineers to work with us that enhances our talent pool, creativity and innovation. This Academy vows to train skilled engineers recruited choicely across India irrespective of any differences based on Gender, age, ethnicity or individuality. Epiroc India delivers a full suite of training and competency management services through a state-of-the-art training center located at their Udaipur premises. The training is taken by veterans in the field with years of experience both in national and global landscapes. Since the mining industry values safety and innovation, with the advent of technology, onsite and hands on training is increased to give better productivity on hi tech machines is more. The people who have passed from this academy will make a difference to the customer’s operations and optimize applications for the benefit of the customer. The customer gets trusted partners while productivity is assured.
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