25.01.2024

DIGITIZATION CREATES A NEW TYPE OF TECHNOLOGICAL JOBS IN INDUSTRY, ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

A new Schneider Electric survey reveals that, according to nearly half (45%), industrial companies as a result of digitalization will create a new type of operating technology job over the next three years.

The study commissioned by the Schneider Electric of OMDIA was conducted among representatives of 407 industrial companies - from small and medium-sized enterprises to large companies in Western Europe (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Sweden), USA, China, India and Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines). The study emphasizes the scale of the global crisis of industrial skills, with talents becoming a key challenge for more than half of the respondents (52%).

At the same time, however, it also points to dealing with this problem. In addition to the creation of jobs, over two-thirds (70%) of participants agree that digitalization will help to deal with talent shortages in view of the potential of digital instruments to deliver much more than performance and efficiency.

While raging the crisis with skills, the workplace in the industry is undergoing rapid changes. The goals for durability and advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and digital doubles, are becoming more integrated in the workforce. The study found that 45% and 47%, respectively, believe that increasing requirements for industrial companies to achieve environmental and social sustainability will require a significant expansion of existing benefits and competences of factory workplaces.

"Digitization is not only beneficial for productivity and overall efficiency. It is vital for resolving some of the challenges related to the people facing the industrial business," commented Ali Hay Frage, Senior Vice President of production and industrial digitization and industrial Automation in Schneider Electric. "There is a real opportunity for industrial enterprises to optimize and improve roles in terms of operational technologies. By reducing the time for administrative tasks and enabled people to better reach their potential, we can solve many of the key challenges they face these businesses, and help build a more sustainable future."

The future of working in operational roles

The study found that more than half of the respondents (52%) consider the acquisition and retention of talents to be challenging, but one that can be overcome, which shows that the representatives of industrial enterprises share a certain level of optimism in connection with overcoming problems with the workforce.

Three of five (60%) believe that the roles of operational technologies will change over the next three years to moderate (41%) or significant (19%). In addition, the large majority (73%) agree that digitalization will significantly change the nature of the work over the next three years. Three out of every ten (31%) believe that quality control roles are most unfolded or improved by digitization.

The survey also found that in the next three years, industrial companies expect new skills to be requested in areas such as robotics programming and integration (49% of the respondents stated that they do not have or have insufficient skills in this field), as well as in processing, visualization and data analysis (an average of more than 30% do not or have insufficient skills in these areas). While respondents say they prioritize investment in data processing, visualization and analysis, programming and integration of robotics are cited as an average priority of only about half of the respondents. Thus, a key recommendation from the research on industrial companies is to work with partners throughout the industrial ecosystem that can help meet the deficit of technological skills through solutions, training and other opportunities to prepare their workforce for the future.

"The changing nature of the industrial workforce will increasingly require investment in digitization to prepare the staff for new roles and to improve performance and efficiency," said Alex West, a senior chief analyzer for the Industry Internet of Things and Sustainability at OMDIA. "If businesses do not proceed with these investments, they will experience a broader and more serious long-term impact of delaying innovation and inability to compensate for talents' shortage."

You can read the full report, entitled "The Future of Industry," here.