Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
The advent of Industry 4.0 will bring with it an increase in dominance and reliance on technology to produce far-reaching efficiencies across a wide variety of sectors. The revolution of Industry 4.0 is giving manufacturers faster, more flexible, and more efficient processes to produce higher-quality goods and at lower costs. But one of the biggest changes is to the workforce.
According to the 2018 Global Trends report released by LinkedIn, 76% of recruiters and hiring managers think that the 4th Industrial Revolution, or more specifically automation and AI, will have a significant impact on the recruitment industry. Specialist recruiters, especially within sectors that are highly vulnerable to automation, may need to upskill or shift their focus to a new discipline to stay in the game.
As a recruitment firm which deals heavily with the engineering and manufacturing industry, we see the knock-on effect of industry changes to jobs first-hand.
We have seen the change in job descriptions that are including Industry 4.0 terminology such as IoT and AR. We are being asked by clients to seek more technical and technology-focused candidates so that they can adapt to the constantly changing environment.
Although experts predict that Industry 4.0 will reduce labour, our engineering and manufacturing division is finding that job vacancies are increasing.
However, the skillset in the market to cope with the demand of the environment is scarce and we don’t know how the industry will continue to develop if nothing is done to tackle this.
How we can tackle this
In a market of uncertainty, with new technology evolving and the pace of change increasing, it is crucial to consider the business needs for the future.
A recent study released by McKinsey Global Institute found that roughly one-fifth of the global workforce will be impacted by the adoption of AI and automation, with the most significant impact in developed nations like the UK, Germany and US. By 2022, 50% of companies believe that automation will decrease their numbers of full-time staff and by 2030, robots will replace 800 million workers across the world.
Industry 4.0 encompasses a number of new technologies including VR, AI and cloud technology which automatically causes issues. One of the challenges that comes with modern technology is the new skills that are needed from employees to run the machines, code up new processes and the ability to fix new devices. Across the board, skills need to develop.
Apprenticeships
The skills gap within the engineering and manufacturing sector is no new issue. The Manufacturer report highlights that 71% of manufacturers believe apprenticeships are fast becoming a real alternative to higher education. Incoming talent can and should be learning from the highly skilled and experienced employees already embedded in the workforce.
By encouraging individuals to start a career in the sector early, companies can train and develop staff as experts – and, more importantly, evolve them with the new technology that's on the horizon.
Engaging with teenagers and young adults, incorporating them into businesses through apprenticeships and work placement programmes has exceptional benefits, especially within Industry 4.0.
Upskilling
Machine operators and technicians play a critical role in most manufacturing and engineering businesses. Alongside recruitment into these roles, there is also a need to upskill those already in organisations.
If the UK is to become a driving force for Industry 4.0, every manufacturer needs to get involved in skills development, understand the skills needed in the factories of tomorrow, and invest in the development of these skills today.
Upskilling machine operators to diagnose faults and repair machines at source should mean that productivity will increase. It seems like a simple equation.
Education
According to the Higher Education 16 /17 report, over 1 million university students studied a STEM related course.
Universities can change their syllabus to be relevant to Industry 4.0 technologies. However, due to the longevity of creating up to date courses, it’s possible that universities can fall behind. At the moment, only a handful of universities in the UK are ready for Industry 4.0 with dedicated courses and facilities.
Which begs the question, will the UK be in a position to lead the way for Industry 4.0 or will we fall behind?
Written by Maddison Brown, Marketing Assistant at Elevation Recruitment Group
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