Mellott program training tomorrow’s technicians

A Mellott University student uses a micrometer to learn the precision required to assemble a crusher correctly. Photo courtesy of Mellott Co.

A shortage of qualified technical personnel in the aggregate industry prompted Mellott Co. to develop a remedy to the state of affairs.

Ramesh Patel, executive vice president at Mellott Co., took the existing culture of learning within the company and expanded on the theme. He marshaled internal and external resources into a program designed to fill the gap.

Patel’s efforts became Mellott University, an aggregate technician educational program within the organization, which is located in Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania. The company reached out to high schools in the area, and several students were accepted to the program, which is free to students.

According to Mellott, some students in the program apprentice in the company’s crusher service shop. Others are still in high school and attend Mellott University after school hours.

All students in the program earn wages for the time they commit. The best students are offered jobs with Mellott Co. So far, all of the company’s employment offers were accepted.

“Skilled technical people are hard to find in a growing economy,” says Jeff Rowland, human relations manager at Mellott Co. “We offer a very competitive compensation package, but the reality is that young people go into fields that are more academically oriented and that means fewer people are available to keep aggregates machinery running.”

Specifically, the program teaches students hydraulics, electrical, programmable logic controllers, rebuilds, preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance.

“We put together a year-long program that teaches aggregate technicians what they need to know,” Patel says.

The first year of Mellott University concluded in May with a final exam in which students had to completely tear down and rebuild a Metso HP400 cone crusher with minimal help from instructors. The graduating class was treated to a graduation ceremony, and they received diplomas as proof of their efforts.

In addition, Mellott has plans to enhance the program in the coming years. The company partnered Tony Valente, an educator at Hagerstown Community College based in Hagerstown, Maryland. This summer, Valente prepared Mellott University for a second class of students that is slated to graduate next spring.

“We have a good program going here,” Valente says. “We are going to add some components and develop technicians with good skills.”