History

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Stateside Beginnings

TWI was developed in the U.S. during WWII to train replacements of an industrial workforce off to fight a war. It provided rapid and consistent training and is recognized as part of what helped the Allied forces secure victory as they boosted industrial production and out-produced the enemy. TWI was an unqualified success:

Expansion in Japan

TWI was introduced in Japan during post-war rebuilding. It is still in widespread use in Japan and most notably, in Toyota as part of the Toyota Production System (TPS). It is a foundation to Toyota's success in continuous improvement, and more importantly, in its ability to sustain those improvements.

Faded Memory, Emerging Movement

During the prosperity of post-war America, the TWI program was abandoned and it soon became a faded memory. Thanks largely to the not-for-profit Central New York Technology Development Organization (CNYTDO), TWI is experiencing a rebirth throughout industry. In what has been described as a "movement," lean enterprises are increasingly turning to TWI as a means to emulate Toyota's ability to sustain improvements and achieve standard work. Industries such as healthcare, construction, and manufacturing are reaping modern day benefits from this proven and recently revived program.

TWI - Well Researched, Field Proven

The TWI program was developed by a group of the best U.S. experts in training and development of their time. Their initial approach to boosting industrial production involved deploying consultants to the each factory to assess the situation and develop a customized approach to increasing production. This approach failed due to inconsistency, lengthy implementation schedules for recommendations, lack of qualified consultants, and the inability to tap into the productive potential of the employees.

The experts soon refocused their approach to tap into the knowledge of the supervisors. After heavy research and testing, the TWI Service was established to deploy TWI throughout the United States and that “the real jobs had to be done by industry within industry”. The rest is history…

Much more extensive historical material has been written by TWI enthusiasts over the years. Please visit Reading and Resources for links.

Historical TWI Program materials

Follow this link that will take you to the Northern Vermont SME Green Mountain Chapter 204 web site where you will find the worlds’ largest collection of the original Training Within Industry Program materials that were developed and used during World War II plus other information about the program that was deposited into libraries across the United States when the TWI Service was disbanded in 1945.

Rosie-the-Riveter

Rosie-the-Riveter, a commonly used symbol of the WWII workforce, was a real person. Rose Will Monroe was a riveter of B-29 and B24 airplanes at Willow Run aircraft factory in Michigan. She was asked to star in a promotional film about war production and also became the U.S. “poster-girl” for women joining the workforce. She is fondly used by the TWI Institute to symbolize the passion and pride associated with TWI for the last 60 plus years!