The Truth About the Skills Gap: Practice vs. Pushing a Broom

The news that Yokohama Tire in Salem is closing its doors on March 18th is a "plant obituary" for our community. For me, it’s personal. I started in that facility at 12 years old, and those foundations are exactly what built TW Controls. But as we look at the 2,700 local lives impacted by the economic multiplier effect, we have to ask: Are we waiting for a lifeline from Washington, or are we building our own resilience?I am tired of hearing about the "workforce skills gap" from companies that force their technicians to push a broom the moment the line is running. If your team is "looking busy" instead of practicing on the bench, you aren't managing—you’re falling behind. Training isn’t a one-and-done checkbox; it’s a yearly requirement to stay in demand. Today, we’re talking about taking ownership of our backyards, from Master Electrician CEUs to bridging the gap between legacy 1734 and modern 5034 Point I/O.Helping you become a better technician so you will always be in demandNot sure what video to watch next? Enhance your skills and track your progress at https://controls.tw/yt-courses!