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WBTO
WBTO Skills ProfilesManufacturing, one job at a time
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WBTO, LLC · Instructor form
All manufacturing subsectors

Material Handler

Entry-Level Material Handler Skills · about ten minutes. One form per program you teach. Nothing here is used to evaluate you or your program; it is used to argue for what a program needs.

Draft, pending employer validationThis skill list is a draft until five employers have rated it. Your answers tell us what programs deliver today.

Your program

The skills

We are comparing what employers need against what programs deliver. Three ratings per skill. Please answer for a typical completer, not your strongest student.
A — If a student completes your program, what level would they be at? The level a typical completer actually reaches on their first day in this job, not what the course covers.
B — What is the instructor’s own level? A program cannot teach past its instructor, so a low B is a professional development need.
C — Do you have what you need to teach it? 0 = none · 1 = some, not enough · 2 = enough for the class · ? = not sure. Under each skill we list what it takes to teach it; where you mark 0 or 1, tick what you do not have. A question mark is a fine answer.
These three together say why a gap exists, not just that it does.
0 — None. Not part of this job
1 — Awareness. Has seen it or heard of it; would be trained from scratch
2 — Competent. Can do it with help or normal supervision
3 — Proficient. Can do it on their own, to standard
One tap per row. If you do not know, leave the row untouched — blank and 0 mean different things and we treat them differently. Tapped the wrong one? The × clears it.
Follows plant, dock and aisle safety rules, wears the required PPE for the area, spots and reports hazards such as spills, blocked aisles, damaged racking and unguarded edges, and knows the fire, emergency-egress and lockout expectations for the material handling area.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Uses correct lifting, lowering and carrying technique on boxes, bags, totes, rolls and awkward loads, sizes up a load before moving it, and calls for a team lift or a mechanical aid instead of muscling a load that is too heavy, too bulky or too low.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Sustains a full shift of standing, walking, bending, reaching, climbing and repeated lifting at the weights the job's material actually comes in, in whatever heat, cold, dust, wet or noise the building has, and paces the work to finish the shift without getting hurt.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Inspects and operates manual and electric walkie pallet jacks, two-wheel hand trucks and platform carts to move palletized and loose material safely, keeps the load under control on ramps, dock plates and in congested aisles, and tags out equipment found damaged instead of running it.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Works safely around powered industrial trucks as a pedestrian and as a spotter, understands load center, the stability triangle and the danger zone around the truck and whatever it is carrying, and knows that driving one is a separate OSHA 1910.178 certified occupation (SOC 53-7051) requiring employer-specific training and a documented evaluation, not something a new material handler does.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Receives inbound freight, counts and checks what actually arrived against the packing slip, bill of lading and purchase order, and writes shortages, overages and visible damage on the paperwork before the driver leaves the dock.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Reads work orders, pick tickets, kanban cards, travelers and verbal assignments to determine what material is needed, in what quantity, and where it has to go, and asks rather than guessing when a document is unclear or does not match what is on the floor.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Works an order list, goes to the right storage location, checks the material against the order by description, number, size or grade before taking it, pulls the correct quantity, and assembles the order without damaging the goods.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Sorts material by destination and puts received stock in the spot the plant's storage scheme calls for, allowing for weight, turnover and any moisture, age or temperature requirement, and stages outbound or line-side material where the next person expects to find it.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Packs the product in the container the packing spec calls for, protects it with the right wrap, dunnage or fill for that product, closes and secures it, and includes the paperwork so it arrives complete and undamaged.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Builds a stable unit load using the stacking pattern and weight distribution the product needs, keeps it inside the base footprint, and secures it with wrap, banding or dunnage so it survives handling and transport.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Attaches the identifying tags, lot and part labels, the handling and hazard labels the material requires and the correct shipping label to containers and pallets, places them where the next handler and the scanner can find them, and checks the label against the order before the load moves.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Records material moves in the plant's tracking system, by scanning a barcode or by entering the job, order or location number, confirms receipts, picks, putaways and transfers, and stops and corrects an obvious wrong entry rather than pushing the transaction through.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Performs physical and cycle counts accurately, counts what is actually on the shelf rather than what the system says, records units handled and counted on the daily production sheet, work ticket or count screen, and reports variances instead of quietly adjusting them.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Blocks, braces and secures freight in trailers, containers and on pallets using dunnage, load bars, straps and airbags so that nothing shifts, falls or gets crushed in transit.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Loads and unloads trucks, trailers, containers and rail cars safely, makes sure the vehicle cannot move before working on or in it, and builds the outbound load so the weight sits right and it comes off in the order it is needed.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Prepares and checks the outbound paperwork the load requires, including the bill of lading, packing list and any shipping papers the material's rules call for, verifies piece counts, weights and consignee against the load actually on the dock, and records the seal number before the truck leaves.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Recognizes hazardous materials by placard, label and container marking, knows which items must be segregated, kept upright or kept away from heat and ignition sources, and stops and gets a trained person rather than moving, storing or shipping hazmat alone.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Moves, segregates and stores regulated material as a trained hazmat employee: works to the segregation table and the plant's written procedure, keeps containers labelled, closed and upright, checks them for leaks and damage, and keeps the paperwork with the load.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Identifies the raw stock, components and finished goods the plant handles by part number, lot or batch identifier, grade, form and packaging, and can tell whether the material in hand is actually what the order calls for.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Inspects incoming and stored material for damage, wear, leaks, moisture, pest activity and short count, tags and quarantines anything suspect, and reports it to a supervisor rather than sending it on to the production line.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Keeps aisles, dock and staging areas clear and swept, returns tools and equipment to their marked homes, breaks down and routes packaging waste to the right stream, and takes part in 5S audits and shadow-board upkeep.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Rigs a load for a powered lift by attaching the sling, hook or lifting frame the job calls for, keeps the load balanced and under control while it moves, and keeps everyone clear of the load path.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Works as part of a dock or line-side crew, communicates clearly by radio and face to face about what is staged, held or still open, hands the job off at shift change so the next crew is not guessing, and works alongside coworkers of many backgrounds and first languages.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Counts accurately, converts between the units the plant buys and ships in such as pieces, cases, pallets or board feet, works out load weight and the space a load takes, reads a scale and a tape measure, and checks that the numbers on the paperwork add up before signing for a load.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Inspects the inbound trailer or container itself before unloading at a food or beverage plant, checking floor condition, odor, prior-load residue, pest evidence and pallet condition, and records the check so nothing comes off a conveyance that could contaminate product.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Moves, racks and stages rolls of fabric and sides of hide or leather by hand or with non-powered handling equipment, getting each roll or side to the rack or table location someone else assigned without crushing an edge, creasing the material or soiling the face.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Receives, stores and moves paper rolls and skids of cut stock, storing rolls on end, checking wrap and edge condition as each roll is taken, and moving skids so the stock reaches the machine without edge, corner or moisture damage.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Works banded cubes of block, pipe and precast in the outdoor yard: places dunnage on uneven ground, tags units, spots for wheel loaders and yard forklifts, and confirms a unit is stable and its banding intact before it is lifted or moved.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Recognizes when handling, dumping or sweeping around concrete, stone, sand or glass batch can put respirable crystalline silica dust in the air, uses the wet or vacuum dust control that is provided, never dry-sweeps or blows the dust down, and reports uncontrolled dust instead of working in it.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Moves glass lites to an assigned rack using A-frames, glass trolleys and suction lifters with edge protection and separation in place, wearing cut-resistant PPE, and checks the equipment, the route and the rack before the glass is lifted or travels.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Works the aisles and yard of a melt shop without entering its danger zones: recognizes radiant heat and splash hazards around hot castings, billets and molten-metal transfer routes, wears the flame-resistant clothing issued, and stays out of pour paths and crane runways.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Stores and moves coils, wire and cable reels, spools and banded bundles using the cradles, chocks and racks built for them, and treats every banded or sprung load as stored energy, cutting a band only in the stance and sequence the coil bay teaches and keeping everyone out of the path the band will spring toward.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Moves full-size sheet, plate and panel stock on the dock and in bulk storage using the clamps, lifters, racks and carts sized for full units, and keeps edges, corners and faces undamaged from the truck through storage to the point where the shop takes the unit.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Handles static-sensitive product only while grounded: wears the wrist or heel strap, works on grounded surfaces and carts, keeps parts in static-shielding bags and conductive totes, and never sets bare product on an ungrounded surface from receiving through inspection to packout.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Delivers staged kits and material to assembly stations in the order and at the time the build sequence calls for, confirms each drop against the sequence list, and flags a late, short or out-of-order delivery to the line lead immediately instead of letting the station discover it.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Assembles complete kits against a build list, counting small parts with a counting scale and pulling components in reel, tray, tube and bag formats, so an assembly cell receives every line item in one checked kit.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Delivers and stages material inside a FOD-controlled area without adding foreign objects: keeps the cart, the containers and the staged hardware free of loose items and debris, accounts at the point of delivery for what was brought in, and reports anything found loose near an assembly.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.
Meets GMP personal hygiene rules where the handler actually works, the dock and the warehouse, and follows hygienic zoning at doors and pass-throughs, adding or changing smocks, hair covers and footwear protection whenever crossing into a production zone.
A — Completer levelwhat a typical completer reaches on day one
B — Instructor levelyour own level on this skill
C — What you need to teach it0 none · 1 some · 2 enough · ? not sure
To teach this you would need:If you marked 0 or 1 on C, tick what you do not have, or have but not enough of.

Employability skills

Oregon publishes ten employability skills, the same statewide, so a school and an employer can point at the same list. For each one, which is closest to how your program handles it? One choice per row. “Not really addressed” is a perfectly good answer; no program covers all ten and we are not scoring you.
AdaptabilityWhat Oregon calls it with students: Open to Change
Analysis/Solution MindsetWhat Oregon calls it with students: Problem Solver
CollaborationWhat Oregon calls it with students: Team Player
CommunicationWhat Oregon calls it with students: Good Communicator
Digital LiteracyWhat Oregon calls it with students: Good with Technology
EmpathyWhat Oregon calls it with students: Sensitive to Others
Entrepreneurial MindsetWhat Oregon calls it with students: Go-Getter
ResilienceWhat Oregon calls it with students: Handles Setbacks
Self-AwarenessWhat Oregon calls it with students: Self-Understanding
Social Diversity/AwarenessWhat Oregon calls it with students: Sensitivity to Differences

Three last things

Optional: research use of your responses

WBTO studies the quality of its own assessment methods, including how consistently different experts rate the same skills. We would like to include your responses, with all identifying information removed, in that methods research, which may be published. Your name, organization, and school would never appear, and results are reported only in combined form. This choice does not affect this assessment or your participation in any way.