E-learning Initiative by The Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF)

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The Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF), a trade association for the international metal powder producing and consuming industries, has just announced the launch of its long-awaited e-learning program. The online courses on various aspects of powder metallurgy (PM), available through the Web to anyone with a computer, are designed to help companies involved in any phase of the PM industry with their workforce-training requirements.
“Helping our members develop and maintain a highly skilled workforce is central to our mission of advancing powder metallurgy and particulate materials worldwide,” says MPIF Executive Director/CEO Jim Trombino in announcing the launch. Although the e-learning courses are available to anyone, employees of MPIF-member companies, as well as members of APMI International, can purchase courses at significant discounts over non-members.

“We realize that in today’s economic environment it’s becoming increasingly difficult for companies to justify the time and expense of sending employees to in-person seminars,” Trombino adds. “Our e-learning initiative is designed to address this pressing issue.”

The development of the MPIF e-learning program is a long-term project, expected to be implemented in stages over the next several years. At its launch, the program offers three learning modules: “Welcome to the World of PM,” “Introduction to Compacting and Primary Press Operations,” and “Introduction to Sintering Fundamentals and Furnace Design.” Each self-paced module can be completed in about 30 minutes, including two brief assessment quizzes, at the conclusion of which the learner receives a personalized completion certificate.

“We wanted to make the whole process of employee learning as painless and enjoyable as possible,” says MPIF Director of Technical Services Jim Adams. The modules are custom designed to take full advantage of the Web-based medium with audio narration, colorful graphics, many illuminating animations, and interactive navigation capabilities. “Plus we’ve created a separate microsite for our e-learning program on the MPIF Web site,” Adams says, “with detailed explanations of the program as well as a brief demo piece that shows the style of the modules, and with an easy online registration process.”

MPIF-member companies can also take advantage of prepaid corporate e-learning accounts, which not only provide additional discounts on their individual employee registrations but offer member companies online management tools to monitor and document employees’ usage of the program, a valuable benefit for HR departments.

For more information go to [www.mpif.org].