Connected Factories Need Humans More Than Ever
In recent weeks, manufacturing has once again been a popular topic of conversation amidst the Trump administration’s on-again/off-again tariff announcements. Proponents of tariffs believe they will force companies to reshore manufacturing that has been previously moved overseas.
However, people familiar with the current state of manufacturing in the United States know things aren’t nearly as simple as they’re made to seem on the news. Already facing an ongoing skills gap that has left more than a half-million manufacturing jobs unfilled, where will manufacturers find even more workers to fill new factories?
Many Americans do agree that it would be a good thing if there were more manufacturing workers in the U.S. However, far fewer people think manufacturing would be a good fit for themselves personally. This lasting negative impression of manufacturing as a career choice is one of the primary contributing factors to the ongoing skills gap plaguing manufacturers across the country.
Over the past couple of decades, American manufacturers have attempted to deal with the skills gap in a variety of ways. For example, many manufacturers have invested heavily in advanced automation technologies that can increase productivity and efficiency while reducing the need for human workers in certain types of jobs. These facilities feature “connected systems” technologies that create what many refer to as a “smart factory” environment.
This use of robots and other automation technologies has led some to worry that human workers would be completely displaced by technology one day. To the contrary, though, many of these technologies are merely taking the place of workers that couldn’t be found in the first place. For those who worry about robots replacing humans, new research should give them comfort that human beings in the workplace will always be necessary…and even more so in the age of advanced automation.
A DC Velocity article summarizes recent research by Gartner, which found that a “human-centric strategy is key to operating the ‘connected factory.’” “According to Gartner, connected factory workers use digital tools and data management techniques to improve how work is done in factories. That access to new knowledge and technology reduces variability, decentralizes decisions, and proliferates knowledge.”
Although the focus is often on the technology being implemented, Gartner “emphasizes the role of the connected factory worker in the advancement of an overall smart manufacturing strategy…The connected factory worker can serve as a strategic pillar in supporting an organization’s aim of localizing manufacturing and expanding capacity.”
As manufacturers navigate the complex pathway of combining advanced automation technologies with highly skilled workers who can install, operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair these systems, finding the right type of workers who can thrive alongside technology will be paramount.
“Successful implementation of these initiatives is key to overcoming labor shortages, revitalizing the frontline workforce and reinventing the employee value proposition in manufacturing for a new generation.”
Involving workers in the decision-making process early can be beneficial. “In the near-term, they can achieve operational cost savings, while in the longer-term they may gain strategic benefits centered on enhancing the employee experience, upskilling talent, and creating new organizational roles that will appeal to and engage the next generation of workers.”
So where do these connected factory workers come from? As companies embrace new technologies, they will often need to either upskill current workers or hire new workers with the advanced automation technology skills they require.
If hiring new workers ends up being part of their automation implementation plan, manufacturers should look for candidates with industry-standard credentials that prove they already possess the advanced automation skills needed to thrive.
For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
Microcredentials Becoming Popular Alternative to College
Today’s high school students have more career paths to choose from than any other generation in history. For years, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors steered students toward college to earn a four-year degree before entering the job market. However, college isn’t always the right choice for a student.
Thanks to years of effort by manufacturers, many students now realize that entering the workforce straight out of high school is a viable option. Not only can they make good money right from the start, but they can also avoid tens of thousands of dollars in student loans.
In addition to skills they can acquire in modern career and technical education (CTE) programs in high school, students can also pursue apprenticeships with on-the-job training, as well as microcredentials from a national organization like the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA).
In a recent article on The 74 website, author Kerry McDonald profiles high school student Chase Buffington, a senior currently working as a paid apprentice for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) company.
According to McDonald, “Buffington is representative of a growing number of young people, especially men, who are eschewing a college degree for alternatives, such as apprenticeships, entrepreneurship, and microcredentialing.”
Connor Boyack, president of apprenticeship preparation and placement program Praxis, agrees that “the future of postsecondary pathways lies in creating more opportunities for teenagers and young adults to explore their interests and gain career-related skills and knowledge outside of a conventional college classroom.”
Author, professor, and workforce development advisor Kathleen deLaski offers advice for the modern workplace: “Employers beyond the trades need to consider apprenticeship and they need to provide certifications in a broader number of fields so that learners can demonstrate skills mastery without a degree.” Likewise, high schools, colleges, and universities would do well to consider how they will “respond to the changing preferences of a young workforce.”
Whether you’re a high school or college instructor or an industrial hiring manager, it can be difficult to switch gears to respond to new trends, like the growing popularity of apprenticeships and microcredentialing. Fortunately, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. SACA has worked closely with industry leaders to craft a wide variety of microcredentials that reflect the hands-on skills that industry needs.
Smart automation technologies are vital parts of many major industries. These industries need highly skilled workers to fill thousands of open positions, and employers need to know that potential employees have the skills they need to hit the ground running.
That’s why SACA’s microcredentials were developed with input from a combination of industry and educational experts. Guided by their expertise regarding the skills and competencies needed for today’s smart manufacturing workforce, SACA has been able to create nationally recognized, occupation-driven microcredentials for numerous industrial topic areas. If workers possess a certification from SACA, employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. So be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
AI Driving the Future of Auto Manufacturing
Artificial intelligence (AI): it’s in your smartphone. It’s in your web browser. It seems like it’s a part of nearly everything around us these days. And it’s about to be a big part of your experience every time you get behind the wheel of an automobile.
New technologies like AI are revolutionizing automobile manufacturing. From the surge in the production of electric vehicles (EVs) to the incorporation of advanced electronics into every part of modern vehicles, the future of automobiles is exciting and changing rapidly.
According to a Quartz article by Ece Yildirim, General Motors (GM) has decided to partner with tech giant Nvidia to leverage its AI expertise to build its next generation of self-driving cars. Specifically, “GM will use Nvidia’s Drive AGX platform, an in-vehicle computer that delivers ‘up to 1,000 trillion operations per second of high performance computer,’ and includes hardware and software to develop autonomous driving functions as well as immersive in-cabin experiences.”
Nvidia claims its AI expertise “will speed the development and deployment of safe autonomous vehicles at scale.” A lot of work remains to get to that point, though. For starters, GM will need to focus on “optimizing [its] automotive plant design and operations.”
That process has begun with GM “investing in Nvidia graphics processing units for AI model training.” The two companies are collaborating “to build custom systems to train AI manufacturing models.” For example, “GM will use the Nvidia Omniverse platform to create digital twins of their assembly lines, which will allow for virtual vehicle testing and production simulations.”
GM chair and CEO Mary Barra is excited about AI’s potential: “AI not only optimizes manufacturing processes and accelerates virtual testing but also helps us build smarter vehicles while empowering our workforce to focus on craftsmanship. By merging technology with human ingenuity, we unlock new levels of innovation in vehicle manufacturing and beyond.”
Barra’s view should be some comfort to those workers worried about being replaced by AI or other advanced automation technologies. Humans will always play an important role in the advanced manufacturing process. Unfortunately, GM and nearly every other manufacturer across the country and around the world face the same challenge: finding workers with the advanced skills to thrive in these new smart factory environments.
One solution, of course, is to either upskill current workers or hire new workers with the advanced automation technology skills they require. How can manufacturers be certain prospective workers have the skills they need?
Manufacturers should look for candidates with industry-standard credentials that prove they already possess the skills they need to thrive. For example, if workers possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), employers can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. SACA has been hard at work collaborating with industry leaders to develop a wide variety of industry-standard certifications that will help employers find workers who possess the advanced connected-systems skills they need to take their businesses to the next level. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
- Published in News
