Tom Masterson said the electronic math classes he took as part of the Southeast Missouri Regional Industrial Training Group made him a better employee.

"It's been a real learning experience," said Masterson, an electronics maintenance worker at the DANA Corp.

David Bangert also works at DANA and said the mechanical math classes have helped him do his job better, too.

"It's taught me how to do mathematical formulas and to make accurate measurements and how to solve problems," he said. "That's all part of my job."

Making employees better-informed and more efficient is the purpose of the group, its organizers say.

The training group consists of 12 manufacturing and industrial employers who work together with Southeast Missouri State University, Mineral Area Community College of Park Hills and the Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School.

These industries, which represent more than 5,000 employees, have bonded together to provide additional training for their workers.

Industries including Biokyowa, DANA, Golden Cat, Foamex, Gregory Construction, K&K Electronics, Lone Star Industries, M&W, Procter and Gamble, SEMO District Council of Carpenters, Lee Rowan and Bloomsdale Excavating have participated since the group's inception in 1984.

"We saw a need to bring the industries together," said Orville Krauss, a coordinator for the group at the Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School.

"It's been very successful," Krauss said. "We started with a small group of three companies and in three years we've grown to 12. The companies immediately began to recognize how beneficial the group is."

Training is available in a number of areas, including mechanical-based skills, electronics basics, mechanical math and electronic math. Training is also available in supervisory and management skills.

The industries believe the training is a more cost-effective way to train groups together, as opposed to individual training, Krauss said.

"It saves time and money in the long run," said Harold Tilley, director of the Vocational-Technical School. "It's been very well received."

Tilley said that as technology advances at a more and more rapid pace, it behooves the businesses to keep their employees educated.

"If you don't get any instruction to guide you along, you may be doing your job and not know you're doing it wrong," Tilley said.

Pat Hagan, director for the employer group and Dana's Cape Girardeau plant facilitator, said the training group has made a visible difference.

"The employees have become more productive," said Hagan, who also teaches a class for the group. "The training is extensive and it helps keep people growing all the time."

About 300 employees attend classes for a semester each year, Krauss said. Some of the costs are defrayed by the industries and the State Department of Education.

Initial funding for the group came from a grant, requested by the MAC Customized Training Department. The grant funding was secured through Customized Training at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Each company that belongs pays a fee ranging from $500 to $5,000. The group was organized as a not-for-profit organization and has in excess of $12,000 in available funds to assist with equipment and instructional resource purchases for the program.

This is in addition to the more than $30,000 in equipment already purchased for the projects.

Southeast Missouri Regional Industrial Training Group

Industries:

* Biokyowa Inc.

* DANA Corp.

* Golden Cat Corp., ,

* Foamex

* Gregory Construction

* K&K Electronics

* Lone Star Industries

* M&W Packaging

* Procter and Gamble Paper Products Co.

* SEMO District Council of Carpenters

* Lee Rowan Co.

* Bloomsdale Excavating

Teaching institutions

* Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School

* Southeast Missouri State University

* Mineral Area Community College