Manufacturers need talent with specialised, agile skill sets

The manufacturing industry is no longer the field of work our parents or grandparents once knew. Advances in automation and machine- plus tech-supported process management have fully changed how operations work and namely the skills workers must have to not only find employment, but also to boost their prospects for career advancement.?

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Digital conductors and projects managers

In our Gi Group Holding report Manufacturing: Global HR Trends published earlier this year, businesses we surveyed gave a clear indication of where their hiring plans are headed. For example, the vast majority of manufacturing companies are now seeking talent who can manage and direct greater use of automated processes and new technologies (i.e., machine learning, artificial intelligence, and much more). All this requires more specialised training. 68% of manufacturers say their teams need more specialised skills in machine operations and working with specialised tools, while 65% of businesses in the sector acknowledge that their reskilling/upskilling efforts will require greater investment in specialised training courses. But it is worth pointing out that this varies across regions. Up to 98% of Chinese businesses view training and reskilling as a priority, while this figure ranges between 50-60% for countries like Italy and the UK. Still, interestingly, in all countries surveyed (Brazil, China, Germany, Italy Poland and the UK), demand for better knowledge of foreign languages is also high - with an average support at 51%, and 39% of manufacturers say their workers need more experience using smart technologies.

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But that’s just the first part of the uptraining and upskilling equation. As machines take over the routine tasks required in manufacturing operations (assembly, parts sorting, warehouse stocking, picking, etc.), the conductor or oversight role is where human skills and interventions will shine. That said, this means an increasing investment into boosting various soft skills. While all countries in our study put digital and project management skills as their top priority (71%), public speaking (69%) and analytical skills (67%) came in a close second and third.

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Employers in manufacturing seek agility and adaptability

Looking at the skills demands above, the manufacturing businesses we engaged with in our survey expressed a fairly large degree of openness when it comes to reskilling. They noted that they are willing to reskill or train workers in new areas, but they said top candidates will have to demonstrate a willingness to learn. 84% of employers stated that adaptability and flexibility are two personality traits that are priority for them at the moment. Attention to detail comes in a close second (82%). Of all the markets surveyed, Chinese manufacturers are most keen on recruiting and investing in training new hires that fit this profile.

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The findings from our research are also confirmed by other global industry monitoring bodies around the world. For example, experts from the US National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) concur that the skills levels needed in manufacturing are trending upward - meaning even entry-level are requiring higher-level skill sets. One rep from NAM even asserts "there’s no such thing as a low-skilled job in manufacturing anymore." Elsewhere, industry consultants report that 70% of clients have increased automation in their businesses by 50% or more during the past three years, which has upped the need for people in operational technology positions at the plant level. The problem is though, specifically for the US market, that post-secondary educational institutions are not producing student-adepts for these positions. Obsession with traditional 4-year liberal arts degree programmes has put a dent in the number of students seeking trade certifications in practical fields like electrical engineering (which is currently one of the top three sought-after roles according to NAM).

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Bearing all these sectoral research findings in mind, I would suggest that consultant teams in businesses like Gi Group Holding, where focus on everything from recruitment and placement on to staffing, need to continue to support the marriage and interaction between academia and labour markets. It is clear that manufacturing is no longer the traditional assembly-line job system it once was. There is much more skill, intelligence and insights that now go on top of all processes. For manufacturing businesses to keep ahead of global competition they need to work closer with secondary schools and universities to find ways to train and deliver graduates who have needed skills. If almost 100% of Chinese manufacturing companies have already bought into this view, other regions (specifically Europe) need to catch up. The smart manufacturer who has invested in talent to manage and innovate automated systems, while hiring skilled engineers to provide leadership and strategy input, is the one who will win out in an increasingly tech-driven manufacturing world: one where skilled humans will lead the machines and put forward and monitor successful production strategies.