We’ve talked a lot about Industry 4.0 lately, going beyond the basics to offer real-world advice on how to incorporate Industry 4.0 into existing training programs.
As you begin to initiate students into the world of Industry 4.0, you are bound to come across some challenges along the way. They can include:
Keep Up with Rapidly Changing Technology
Industry 4.0 technologies are constantly evolving, making it difficult for educators to stay current and for organizations to maintain up-to-date training programs.
Pressure to Fix the Skills Gap
There is a shortage of professionals with the skills and knowledge required for Industry 4.0, which can make it difficult for organizations to find qualified employees and for educators to develop relevant training programs. Educators are under intense pressure to solve the problem of a lack of qualified personnel, sometimes without much guidance from industry on what exactly it needs at any given time.
Difficulty in Creating Hands-on Training Experiences
Industry 4.0 technologies can be complex and expensive, making it difficult to provide students and employees with hands-on training experiences. You can provide this experience through a variety of ways, like in-classroom projects and labs or by partnering with local industry to create internship opportunities. We offer a few different hands-on trainers to suit a variety of budgets so that we can meet you wherever your starting place is.
Cybersecurity Concerns
Industry 4.0 technologies often involve the collection and analysis of large amounts of data, which can raise cybersecurity concerns. Training programs must address these concerns and teach students and employees how to protect against cyber threats.
Interdisciplinary Knowledge Required
Industry 4.0 requires knowledge from multiple fields, such as engineering, computer science, and business, which can make it difficult to provide a comprehensive training program. Educators need to be sure they are offering a program as robust as possible to fully prepare students for the workforce.
Lack of Standardization
Industry 4.0 technologies are diverse and there is a lack of standardization in the field, making it difficult to develop a consistent training curriculum.
There are several certifications available that focus on Industry 4.0 and its related technologies, some including:
- Cisco Certified Internet of Things (IoT) Specialist: This certification focuses on IoT technologies, including sensor networks, protocols, and data analysis.
- AWS Certified Machine Learning: Specialty: This certification covers the AWS platform and its machine learning services, such as Amazon SageMaker, Amazon Comprehend, and Amazon Rekognition.
- PTC ThingWorx Industrial Innovation Platform Developer: This certification focuses on the ThingWorx platform, which is used for IoT and Industry 4.0 applications such as machine monitoring, predictive maintenance, and asset tracking.
- Siemens MindSphere IoT Operating System: This certification focuses on the MindSphere platform, which is a cloud-based, open IoT operating system from Siemens.
- Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) Certified IoT Professional: This certification focuses on the overall understanding of IoT technologies and their applications, including security, big data, and analytics.
- Certified IoT Professional (CIPP): This certification focuses on IoT technologies, their potential applications and the challenges and solutions encountered in the IoT industry.
These certifications can be useful for professionals in various roles, such as developers, engineers, and IT professionals, who want to specialize in Industry 4.0 and its related technologies.
To ultimately overcome all of these challenges, educators can collaborate with industry partners, stay current with the latest developments, and use technology-based solutions such as virtual reality and simulations to provide hands-on training experiences. Additionally, they can make use of online courses, MOOCs and other e-learning platforms to provide flexible and cost-effective training solutions.
