Resources: On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Mentoring

This On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Mentoring resources page was created to support the preparation of the Fundamentals of Metrology course and associated Laboratory Auditing Program (LAP) problems for Laboratory Recognition. Each student registering and attending this course is required to have a laboratory metrologist on staff who will serve as an on-site mentor before and during the seminar.

Mentoring requirements in support of students attending this interim training are available here. These “requirements” may also provide useful guidelines in laboratory administrative procedures for anyone doing mentoring/training of new staff even if not participating in this interim training. Developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities as a “trainer” is supplemental to those needed to perform good measurements in the laboratory, and care should be considered when assigning staff to train and mentor others, making sure they have the aptitude and passion for helping and guiding others to learn metrology.

The following materials and resources were developed to support OJT and Mentoring for state legal metrology laboratories and weights and measures officials. Materials may be useful for other metrology laboratories and is available for others to use freely.

Laboratory Auditing Program (LAP) Problems

State laboratory staff conducting training or mentoring new staff need to be familiar with OWM Training Requirements in NIST Handbook 143, Table 2 as well as the requirements for the Fundamentals of Metrology LAP Problems (Zip File with Instructions and All Resources/Forms). For Mass Echelon I, the LAP problems are published within NISTIR 5672:2019, Advanced Mass Calibration and Measurement Assurance Program for State Calibration Laboratories (2019 Ed).

Training and Laboratory Metrology Info Hours (Recorded Adobe Sessions)

Recorded training sessions are available on “train the trainer” topics as well as OJT topics. These sessions were conducted by OWM staff and are available to state metrology laboratory staff. Because some of these items were completed prior to several updates in the latest valid procedures, any noted differences should always be referenced to the latest valid methods. Some of the reference materials and slides used in these recorded sessions are posted in the next section. These sessions are only available to state metrology laboratory staff. Please contact OWM for links and password details.

Materials Used in Training Sessions (All slides and handouts in PDF)

Note: These resources have been provided by external sources. Please validate all resources prior to use.

2016 Regional Measurement Assurance Program, Laboratory Staffing Requirements PPT Slides (G. Harris)

2017 Best Practices LMIH Session – SODOTO Method Slides and Reference Paper (Robert Rogers, NC)

2017 Best Practices LMIH Session – Slides (Jim Gownley, PA)

2017 Best Practices LMIH Session – Sample Metrology Exercises (Benj FitzPatrick, MN)

2017 Best Practices LMIH Session – KS Sample Training Plan (G. Harris shared for KS)

2017 Designing and Implementing OJT for State W&M Webinar Slides (G. Harris)

2020 OJT and Mentoring for State Laboratories – Webinar Slides (G. Harris)

Resources for On-the-Job Training (OJT)

Additional Learning Resources and References

Note: These resources have been provided by external sources. Please validate all resources prior to use.

SOP 18/19 Video (Job Aid posted with SOP 18 and SOP 19)

Basic Mass CD-ROM (Downloadable Files – Run on Computer, See Instructions and Files)

Create Your Own Mass SOP Equations (Excel file used in OWM Seminars – create and use to validate the lab spreadsheets; do the same thing for other measurement areas)

Set of Sample Training Forms (Amy Smith, FL)

Sample OJT Worksheet (Gary Brown, AK)

Sample Reading Assignments (Lisa Corn, TX)

SOP 8 Modified Substitution with Learning Objectives (2019-05-06)

SOP 19 Volume Transfer Graduated Provers with Learning Objectives (2019-07-16)

Sample 4 Step Process (Shareable checklist from Association for Training Development)

Converting Technical Content to Training Material, Georgia L. Harris, Dana Leaman, NCSLI Conference Paper and Presentation (2010).

NCSLI Recommended Practice (RP) 17 – Documenting Metrology Education, Training, and On-the-Job Training (2007). Free to Members via download; Available for Purchase $80 (as of 2020).  (Note: This document was provided to participants in the 2016 RMAP notebook with NCSLI permission as a training resource, so it should already be available in State laboratories.)

Back to Documentary Standards and Resources