Maintenance training - a modern necessity

In recent years, there has been an increase in technically advanced systems and equipment and a need for highly skilled and knowledgeable maintenance technicians to maintain them. To implement an effective training program, training groups' and plant staffs' key to success must be cooperation and creativity. This paper deals with plant staff interface and how to effectively conduct performance-based training while holding the line on costs. This paper includes cost effective and innovative measures to produce performance-based training for maintenance disciplines including: Using the plants staff as a resource as subject matter experts in the development and verification of training materials. Using the plant staff as a resource for the construction of training aids. Using salvage and surplus to produce high quality, low cost training aids. Using cutaways for better understanding of he theory of equipment operation. These cost saving practices are currently being used at Gulf States Utilities' River Bend Nuclear Station