A Practical Guide to TWI
What is Training Within Industry?
Training Within Industry, or TWI, is a set of short, hands-on programs that teach supervisors three skills: how to train people, how to lead them and how to improve the work.
It was built in the 1940s to get a brand-new workforce up to speed fast, and it still works on every floor we walk into.
Built fast for a country at war.
When the United States went to war, experienced workers left for the service and factories had to train millions of new people almost overnight. The government's answer was the Training Within Industry Service, which ran from 1940 to 1945 inside the War Manpower Commission.
The TWI Service starts
Industry experts boil supervision down to the skills a front-line leader needs most and turn each one into a short, repeatable course.
The J programs take hold
Job Instruction, Job Relations and Job Methods spread to plants across the country, then to hospitals, offices and farms.
TWI travels to Japan
The method goes overseas, where Toyota builds it into the foundation of standardized work and the Toyota Production System.
Back on American floors
Manufacturers, mines, hospitals and colleges use TWI to onboard faster, keep good people and give supervisors a method they can repeat.
Three skills every supervisor needs.
Each program fits on a pocket card, runs over one week of short sessions and gets practiced out loud on real jobs until it sticks.
Job Instruction
Train someone to do a job correctly, safely and conscientiously, fast.
- Prepare the worker
- Present the operation
- Try out performance
- Follow up
Job Relations
Handle people problems fairly and build the trust that keeps good employees.
- Get the facts
- Weigh and decide
- Take action
- Check results
Job Methods
Improve how the work gets done with the people and equipment you already have.
- Break down the job
- Question every detail
- Develop the new method
- Apply the new method
Built on the same foundation
Advanced Job Relations
The tougher people situations, worked to a clear and fair decision.
Job Safety
Find the hazard in the job and remove it before someone gets hurt.
TWI Problem Solving
Take a recurring problem down to its cause so it stays fixed.
That lesson sits at the heart of Job Relations, and it's the reason good supervisors keep good people.
Simple enough to use on a Tuesday.
Why has a method from the 1940s outlasted almost every leadership fad since? It's short, it's practical and every supervisor learns the same four steps, so a plant ends up speaking one language.
It also gives a new supervisor something most never get: a clear way to train, a clear way to handle a hard conversation and a clear way to make the job better.
- New hires who take months to get up to speed
- Every shift doing the same job three different ways
- Know-how that lives in one experienced person's head
- Good people leaving over how they were treated
- The same problems coming back week after week
Questions we hear about TWI.
What does TWI stand for?
Training Within Industry. It's a set of programs that teach supervisors how to instruct, lead and improve, created by the U.S. government during World War II.
What are the TWI J programs?
Job Instruction, Job Relations and Job Methods. Each one teaches a single skill with a four-step method that fits on a pocket card. Job Safety, Advanced Job Relations and TWI Problem Solving build on the same foundation.
How long does TWI training take?
We run each program over one week, about three hours a day, in your facility or live online, with up to ten leaders per group.
Who should take TWI?
Anyone who directs the work of other people: supervisors, team leads, trainers, managers and the experienced operators who teach new hires.
Is TWI only for manufacturing?
It works anywhere people train, lead and improve work. It started in factories and spread to hospitals, offices and farms during the war. We teach it in manufacturing, mining, healthcare and higher education.
Which TWI program should we start with?
Most companies start with Job Instruction, because getting new people trained right and fast pays off right away. Job Relations usually comes next.
Do participants get a workbook?
Yes. Every course includes the participant workbook, the pocket card and the worksheets your leaders use on the floor. See what's included.
See TWI in your operation.
Ready to bring TWI to your floor?
We're certified to teach all six TWI programs. Tell us how many leaders you want trained and where, and we'll send a quote.