Fifty-four percent of calibration professionals, most of whom conduct more than 750 calibrations annually, are getting by with fewer resources while their workloads have increased, according to a new survey by Fluke Calibration. The majority add they’re trying to meet demand for increasing and more complex calibrations with fewer skilled technicians.
In addition, 49% state they’ll either retire in the next five years or change professions. Most respondents (52%) add that better performance is one of the most challenging aspects of calibration work today, followed by the need to calibrate faster (48%) and using outdated equipment (47%).
“The survey’s findings are consistent with what we’ve been hearing from our customers. These are challenging times for calibration professionals,” says Bill Gaviria, product program manager for electrical/RF at Fluke Calibration. “The industry is undergoing a big shift due to increased use of automation and new devices, among other things, and calibration professionals are experiencing dramatically increasing workloads. As a long-standing leader in calibration, Fluke is committed to acutely understanding its customers’ needs and developing problem-solving tools and technology to meet them.”
The survey also found that many calibration labs and service providers are investing more in training to bridge the skills gap, and relying more on automation software to speed calibrations and ensure consistent processes.
