Tooling up tech and talent
The growing costs of raw material and labour around the world are converging with rapid advancements in industrial technologies. This combination of necessity and invention could be the beginning of a brighter future for industrials sector employers and workers. The factory floor of the future will be more connected and automated, delivering greater efficiency, cost savings and safer skilled trades opportunities for workers.
Robots rock: Global cost pressures are accelerating the adoption of robotics including collaborative robots (cobots) which work closely with facility team members, particularly for dangerous or physically demanding tasks. Most manufacturing leaders (62%) say robotics and automation will be their top investment priority to increase operational efficiencies in the next 12 months.1
Meet your digital twin: The use of digital twins — a virtual representation of an object or system — is rapidly growing in the industrials sector and the results are promising. Early implementers have realised sustainable inventory reductions of up to 5% and capital expenditure savings of up to 10%.2
AI and VR on the factory floor: Will rapidly advancing technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Virtual Reality (VR) have a negative impact on the future manufacturing workforce? Industrials sector hiring managers don’t think so. In fact, 59% believe these technologies will have a positive impact on their headcount in the next two years.3
1. Deloitte, 2. Boston Consulting Group, 3. ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey 2023
High demand for specialised digital transformation talent will continue and industrials employers will need to compete with multiple sectors for workers
Continuous upskilling and reskilling will be key to train workers to utilise increasingly sophisticated automation tools
Sustained sector demand for manufacturing workers despite growing automation will make building an adequate talent pipeline and increasing retention a critical business priority.
59% OF INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYERS BELIEVE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR HEADCOUNT
