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WBTO
WBTO Skills ProfilesManufacturing, one job at a time
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WBTO, LLC · Instructor form
Food manufacturing, Beverage manufacturing · NAICS 311, 312

Food and Packaging Operator

Entry-Level Food Production Operator 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.
Works safely around powered food equipment, wet floors, steam, hot surfaces and refrigerant lines, wears the required PPE, respects guarding and lockout/tagout, and stops the line and gets help rather than reaching into a running machine.
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 Good Manufacturing Practice personal hygiene rules every shift without being told: handwashing at entry and after every break or restroom visit, hair and beard restraints, clean smocks, no jewelry, no gum or food on the floor, and self-reporting illness or an open wound before starting work.
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.
Breaks down, cleans and sanitizes product-contact equipment on the posted schedule using the right chemical at the right strength and temperature, verifies the result, and presents the line for pre-operational inspection before production restarts.
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.
Sets up and runs a CIP circuit on tanks, fillers and product lines: makes the correct connections, starts the wash recipe, confirms chemical strength, temperature and return flow through each step, and confirms the final rinse before the circuit is released back to production.
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 allergen-containing ingredients and rework so they never reach a product that does not declare them: uses dedicated or color-coded tools, keeps allergen materials segregated in staging and storage, runs the allergen cleaning and changeover steps, and confirms the label on the package matches what was actually run.
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.
Knows which step on their line is a critical control point and what its critical limit is, takes and records the monitoring reading at the required frequency, and stops production, holds the affected product and tells a supervisor the moment a reading falls outside the limit.
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.
Understands in plain terms why the process exists: which organisms cause spoilage and foodborne illness, what temperature, time, moisture and acidity conditions let them grow, and how the cook, chill, sanitation and hygiene steps on their own line interrupt that growth.
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 a master formula or batch sheet and scales it correctly to the batch size actually being run, converting between pounds, ounces, grams, gallons and percentages without a calculator error reaching the kettle.
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.
Weighs bulk and minor ingredients to the tolerance on the batch sheet using the right scale for the quantity, tares correctly, checks the scale against a known weight, and signs off each weighment so the batch record shows who dispensed what.
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 batch in the order and at the rate the formula requires, adding each ingredient at the specified point and hold time, staging and verifying ingredients before they go in, and completing the batch ticket as the batch is made rather than afterward.
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.
Runs mixers and blenders to the specified speed and time, judges the endpoint by product temperature, texture and appearance rather than the clock alone, and recognizes an under-mixed or over-mixed batch before it moves downstream.
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.
Runs a cook, pasteurization or blanch step to the scheduled time and temperature: brings the product up, confirms the recording device against the indicating thermometer, holds for the full required period, watches for a diversion or under-temperature condition, and never releases a batch that did not make the schedule.
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.
Completes production and food-safety records as the work happens: enters the required readings, times, product name and batch quantity, notes any unusual occurrence, initials the record, and produces a chart or log that is legible, complete and defensible to an auditor months later.
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 product at its required temperature from receiving through cooling, storage and shipping: takes and logs temperatures with a calibrated probe, gets hot product into the chiller within the allowed window, keeps cooler doors shut, and reports an excursion immediately instead of waiting for the next check.
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.
Sets up and runs fillers and sealers to hit the target fill weight or volume and a sound closure, keeps filler bowl covers and drip shields in place during the run, checks seal integrity on a schedule, and pulls and rejects any container that is short-filled or imperfectly sealed.
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.
Sets, applies and verifies the date and lot code on every package so finished product can be traced back to the batch and shift that made it, checks code legibility and correctness at start-up and after every changeover, and stops the line when packages are running uncoded or miscoded.
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 a packaging line running at rate: feeds film, cartons, labels and cases, monitors the machines for correct operation, clears jams and misfeeds safely, hand-packs or reworks when the line is down, and reports repeat faults rather than clearing the same jam all shift.
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.
Changes a line from one product or package size to the next: clears all prior product, film, labels and code stock from the line, swaps size parts and settings to the setup sheet, and runs and checks a first package against specification before the line is released to full rate.
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.
Runs the metal detector or X-ray verification check at start-up, on the required interval and at end of run using certified test wands, confirms the reject mechanism actually removed the test piece, records the result, and quarantines all product back to the last good check when a verification fails.
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.
Monitors net package weight on the checkweigher against the declared weight and the plant's control limits, keeps the reject and feedback loop working, and adjusts or escalates when the line is trending toward underweight packages or expensive overfill.
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 the in-process checks listed on the line's check sheet at the stated frequency, compares the result against the gold-standard sample or spec range, records it, and holds product and calls QA when a check is out of range instead of letting it run.
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 physical hazards out of the product: follows the glass and brittle-plastic policy, keeps tools accounted for on the shadow board, inspects containers and packaging before filling, and reports and isolates any breakage, missing tool part or unexplained object found on the 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.
Receives and stores raw materials and packaging correctly: checks the load and temperature against the paperwork, rejects damaged or out-of-temperature product, dates and labels what comes in, and rotates stock first-in-first-out so nothing expires in the rack.
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.
Hands off the line cleanly at shift change and keeps the crew informed during the run: reports run status, downtime causes and quality issues in the shift log and huddle, calls for help early, and communicates across the language and experience differences that are normal on a food production 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.
Moves ingredients, packaging and finished pallets safely around the plant with pallet jacks and hand equipment, builds and wraps a stable pallet, stages material where the next operation needs it, and keeps aisles, dock doors and staging lanes clear.
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.
Carbonates product toward the target CO2 volumes under direction: connects gas lines, watches tank pressure and temperature, checks the level with the plant's carbonation tester, and treats cellars and any low or enclosed space as a CO2 asphyxiation risk.
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.
Assists moving product from fermenter to brite tank: stages sanitized hoses, clamps and gaskets, purges the receiving tank with CO2, watches pressures and flow during the transfer, and logs the liquid movement on the transfer record.
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.
Runs returned kegs through the keg washer on the correct caustic, acid and sanitizer cycles, checks kegs and spears for damage, and fills to the target weight under CO2 counter-pressure with each fill weighed, recorded and date-tagged.
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.
Pulls filled cans and bottles at the posted interval, checks the can double seam and cap torque against the plant's limits, records the numbers, and stops the filler and holds product back to the last good check when a result is out.
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.