Karl Hedlund, MSEM
Management Services Committee Member
AtlasElektro
Richmond, Virginia
Does your electric motor service center have prescribed standard operating procedures? When we hire a new team member, we load them up with policy, safety and procedural manuals, often including resources like ANSI/ EASA Standard AR100-2020. Yet, when I speak with many service center owners and managers, I often find a disconnect when it comes to formal skill development programs, such as EASA’s Electromechanical Repair Technician (ERT) Program. Many owners and managers tell me it’s left entirely up to the team member to complete on their own time and at their own direction.
I can tell you I have tried it all—from dangling the financial carrot to selling opportunities for advancement. While some are motivated by money and upward mobility, others just want stability and clear expectations from leadership. Regardless of what drives individual workers, our obligation to our team and our customers is to optimize organizational efficiency and sell a premium value proposition.
The reality is that a better-trained workforce offers a superior value to our customers and attracts better talent. A written, structured learning plan is the single most effective way to reduce downtime and inefficiency in the learning path. Rather than leaving it to each new hire to reinvent the education wheel, why not provide a formalized blueprint based on best practices and lessons learned from the struggles of previous team members?
A written learning plan is a professional roadmap, replacing the haphazard "learn-as-you-go" method with a targeted, efficient progression of technical competency. The learning plan guarantees that training resources are invested effectively, leading to a faster return on investment for the employer and more relevant, timely skills for the employee.
While the specific details should be tailored to your service center’s needs, here is a sample structure we use at AtlasElektro to standardize our introductory training:
The other essential element of a written learning plan is accountability. Without accountability, a detailed plan is no more valuable than a standard that lacks a quality control component. At AtlasElektro, our goal is to improve the customer experience by ensuring that the service they receive is consistent and reliable over time. Likewise, our new hires benefit from a consistent and reliable training process that has predictability and a proven track record of success.
The great news is that EASA’s ERT Certificate Program has already created the roadmap. For service center owners and managers, it is simply a matter of adopting this existing, robust program and determining the concrete timeline you are willing to put in writing for your candidates. This commitment transforms abstract standards into a predictable path to proficiency.
| Timeline |
Focus Area & Key Resource |
Goal/Milestone |
| Days 1-5 |
Safety Training |
EASA Vo-Tech Volume 1 & Company Safety Manual |
| Days 6-30 |
Facilities & Basic Safety |
Learn PPE & Basic Equipment Shut-off Safety |
| Days 31-60 |
Shop Operations |
Inbound, Outbound, and Materials Handling Procedures |
| Days 61-62 |
Basic Shop Skills I |
EASA Vo-Tech Volume 2 |
| Days 63-64 |
Basic Electricity I |
EASA Vo-Tech Volume 4 |
| Days 64-65 |
Basic Mechanics I |
EASA Vo-Tech Volume 6 |
| MILESTONE: ERT Phase I Must be Completed by Day 90 (Introductory Period) |
Related Reference and Training Materials
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