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Earlier this month, McKinsey & Company released a report analyzing the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0.
What exactly is Industry 4.0?
It’s the implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) in traditional industries. (Industry 3.0 was automated manufacturing, Industry 2.0 was the rise of electricity, and Industry 1.0 was the adoption of steam power.)
The report, titled “Industry 4.0: How to Navigate a Changing Industrial Landscape,” says over the next ten years, factories and manufacturing facilities will worry less about buying new equipment and more about outfitting their spaces with sensors and routers to ensure interconnectivity for data collection and analysis.
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As we watch the traditional mechanical chain of manufacturing transform into a digital chain, we will see big changes in the manufacturing workforce.
SAP predicts that as machines are becoming smarter, the work in production lines will be enriched and humanized. The role of employees will evolve so that they become coordinators who ensure smooth production rather than complete simple, manual tasks daily.
In order to produce skilled employees who can manage complex situations, think critically, solve programs, and stay organized, vocational educators will need to adapt curriculum and training programs to focuses on the data-driven skills and innovation abilities of the future workforce.
Today, Industry 4.0 is largely characterized by the convergence of virtual and real words, connectivity, big data and advances in industrial automation. When introducing students to these concepts, virtual simulations of industrial systems can help to establish a baseline understanding of common automation technologies.
The next level of education would involve engineering curriculum and physical trainers focused on robotics, kinematics and control systems, sensors, manipulation, navigation and automation.
Of course, the changes brought on by Industry 4.0 will be gradual and may vary, so educators should remain flexible and adaptable. The McKinsey report says the disruptive technologies driving Industry 4.0 are: data, computational power, and connectivity; analytics and intelligence; augmented reality; and 3D printing. We can expect a change in the manufacturing sector won’t occur until 2025 due to longer innovation cycles in industrial contexts.
Although 2025 is ten years away, it’s a good idea to reflect on your existing program now to determine if it is structured to develop the next generation manufacturing workforce.
How are you preparing your students for the next industrial revolution?
