It’s no secret that some are hesitant when it comes to automation and robotics in manufacturing—there’s a fear of these new technologies replacing people, resulting in fewer jobs all around. The data, however, actually suggests the opposite. The growth of automation is presenting a lot of new job opportunities for people who can program, install, run, and maintain automated machines. It’s saving—and creating—more jobs than it’s replacing. (Source: https://www.robots.com/blogs/staying-competitive-and-bridging-the-skills-gap)
What Automation Means for the Manufacturing Industry
Whether we realize it or not, advances in technology are constantly changing the nature of jobs in our world. From early wooden tools to computers, we’ve been adapting to new ways to accomplish tasks for a long time. Though that innovation can present new challenges to overcome, the help that it brings is worth the challenges. If history has taught us anything, it’s that success is driven by dynamic innovations that free us from back-breaking labor, and allow us to tap into our irreplaceable skills. After all, when’s the last time you pulled out an abacus to calculate a tip at dinner?
Research shows that as industrial robots are made, shipped, and implemented, the unemployment rate in these industries continues to decrease. That is, in large part, because automation allows us to compete. At this point in the industry, automation is the key to helping companies stay competitive on a global level. Data has made it clear that automation is not a threat to jobs—the inability to keep up is the threat. (Source: https://www.robots.com/blogs/staying-competitive-and-bridging-the-skills-gap)
Automation and the Skills Gap
Automation has allowed companies to expand their capabilities, reduce costs, increase production, and more. Businesses are then able to expand into new markets, bring in additional investments, and stay competitive on a large scale. Automation and the skills gap affect each other—without access to a skilled workforce, you’re constrained from pursuing competitive automation and the things that come with it: smart factories, predictive maintenance, self-organized logistics, etc.
At this point, it should come as no surprise that automation is essential for growth. But what’s even more important are workers who make it possible. It’s crucial to train your workers in the right fields in order to bridge the gap and automate manufacturing processes in the first place. As automation continues to spread, it will also continue to produce the jobs necessary to keep systems running smoothly. With hands-on learning opportunities that incorporate real-world automation systems, we can reduce the learning curve for graduates entering the workforce.
To learn more about what automation could do for you and how to implement it into your facility, start a conversation with us.