Live from East: Training Gaps Threaten Line Performance

The Vision 2030 session at PACK EXPO East in Philadelphia opened with data challenging OEMs and end users to confront a persistent issue quietly eroding line performance: ineffective operator training.

Building on recent PMMI research, including insights from previous Vision 2030 sessions at PACK EXPO events and live audience polling during this session, Jorge Izquierdo, VP of Market Development at PMMI, emphasized a harsh reality that worsens the effects of ineffective training: high turnover continues to strain operations, especially among line operators and technicians.

Where operators once stayed in roles for decades, today’s employees may remain only two to three years.

“You can’t spend six months training someone who might be there for two years,” Izquierdo said. “We need to shorten that learning curve and empower them to do the job properly.”

Printed manuals remain the dominant training resource on the plant floor, yet are rated the least effective.PMMI Vision 2030Training tools aren’t the problem; Adoption is

Perhaps the most striking insight came from comparing the tools OEMs offer with the resources end users actually use. Printed manuals remain the dominant training resource on the plant floor, and at the same time, they were rated among the least effective.

“There are a lot of missed opportunities,” Izquierdo said. “OEMs are offering digital manuals, HMI-based troubleshooting, and remote support tools, but adoption is limited. We have to reimagine how training is delivered.”

What operators say they want is far more practical and immediate:

·      Short, task-based videos

·      On-demand troubleshooting clips

·      QR-code-triggered guidance at the machine

·      Bite-sized, topic-specific learning

“These aren’t rocket science solutions,” Izquierdo added. “When an OEM comes to train your people, record it. Make short videos. It’s your equipment, your plant, your staff. Plan for it in the RFP.”

For OEMs, the message was clear: equipment performance is now inseparable from workforce enablement. Machines that integrate digital knowledge tools, intuitive troubleshooting aids, and embedded training resources may offer a significant competitive advantage as customers grapple with turnover and skills gaps.

Turning conversation into action

The Vision 2030 session finished with a roundtable discussion, asking participants to identify the single biggest factor limiting operator training effectiveness in their own operations.

The goal was to spark industry-wide collaboration between OEMs and their customers, rather than any expectations of a finished solution.

“This isn’t a complete resolution of the topic,” he told attendees. “It’s a way to warm up the conversation and help you start thinking about what you’re going through in your own operations.”

As Vision 2030 discussions continue through 2026, one theme is emerging clearly: solving workforce challenges isn’t just an HR issue. It’s a performance issue and increasingly, a design opportunity for OEMs willing to rethink how knowledge moves across the packaging line.