Future IIoT Workforce Must Prepare for Jobs Not Even Created Yet

We will have a skill gap of two million people in the next five years. No single company, university or institution has the answer; the only way we’ll close that skill gap and have the right people ready for these jobs is by working together.

The Institute for the Future estimates that 85 percent of the jobs in 2030 have yet to be created.  What does this mean for manufacturers who need to attract and retain employees?

As employers, know that the ability for an employee to gain knowledge will be more important than knowledge itself.

I see this today in my research and development labs: we are working on technologies today that didn’t exist a couple years ago.  If I hired just for experience, I’d be turning over my department every few years – and I wouldn’t be ready for what’s on the horizon.

Start Early in the STEM Pipeline

Digital transformations will require innovators – leaders, influencers and skilled employees – that can question the status quo.

Those innovators aren’t found. They are created through:

• Education outreach and partnerships with organizations like FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), Project Lead the Way and ST Math that build STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills.
• Collaboration with universities that foster new curriculum in IT and OT convergence and IIoT technologies.
• Constant updating of certifications and continual learning.

These employees will have:  

• Foundational skills.
• High level understanding of the domain (current standards and regulations, customer preferences and what really adds value).
• Familiarity with tools like wearables (virtual and augmented reality) to simulate experiences that are expensive and time consuming to gain.
• The ability to learn critical new skills quickly (think micro certifications).

More Than Upskilling

While digital transformations will require skill upgrades at all levels, there’s an extremely important element of this that companies can’t overlook: company culture.

Company culture is the foundation of transformation. Without that foundation, employees with the right skills and a learning mindset will become frustrated and might even leave your company. To continue to power transformation and innovation, you must have a culture that supports both.