Every Worker is a Tech Worker
Do you remember your days as a student? If you were like most kids, you couldn’t wait to be done with school. No more teachers. No more books. No more exams. No more learning stuff you didn’t care about. Just launch out into the real world and get on with life. That’s what many students can’t wait for.
Well, as it turns out, the real world has some bad news for today’s students. Once they graduate and think they’re done with school, teachers, books, exams, and learning forever, they enter a workplace filled with modern technology that creates a seemingly-never-ending learning curve.
According to a recent Forbes article by Brian Greenberg, “[i]n the ever-evolving landscape of the modern workplace, a new reality [has] emerged: Every worker, regardless of their field, is now a tech worker to some extent. This shift is not limited to the tech industry and IT; it encompasses every sector, ranging from healthcare, education and carpentry to food service, manufacturing and retail. As technology permeates every aspect of our lives, adapting and continually retraining has become paramount.”
The author speaks from experience, noting that “[t]hroughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working in several industries and many roles. The one constant was that I needed to keep learning along the way. There was always a new process to understand or technology to become familiar with. There was always something new, and as time went on, there was more and more technology to learn.
Could this phenomenon simply be a short-lived trend? Greenberg doesn’t believe so. Instead, he believes “it’s a mirror reflecting how deeply technology has rooted itself in the fabric of our work life. Integrating technology into every conceivable profession signals a departure from the past, where a clear delineation existed between a ‘tech job’ and a ‘traditional job.’”
For example, the author points out that “[e]lectricians, once primarily concerned with wires and circuits, are now at the forefront of installing smart home systems. This requires an understanding of electrical fundamentals, networking and digital connectivity. They are expected to be adept at navigating complex control systems and staying up to date with the latest smart technology.”
How do students prepare themselves for today’s workplace? Greenberg believes “a continuous learning and adaptability attitude is essential. The demand is no longer for workers who can perform a set task. Instead, the emphasis is on those who can learn, unlearn and relearn as technology evolves.”
Moreover, he notes that “[t]his dynamic is not restricted to mastering new software or tools; it also includes understanding the implications of technology on your industry, keeping up with cybersecurity concerns, staying ahead of digital trends, understanding how your data is managed and developing a mindset for innovation.”
Does this sound intimidating? If so, you’re not alone. However, Greenberg believes “seeing it as an opportunity is more productive. Technology can be a potent tool to enhance efficiency, accuracy, creativity and productivity in any job when used effectively. For instance, automation and AI can take over mundane tasks, freeing workers to focus on more strategic, creative aspects of their roles.”
But what if you just want to be a “traditional worker” and not a “tech worker”? In today’s workplace that just might not be possible any longer. The author notes that “[w]herever you look, technology is enhancing jobs…tech literacy has become a fundamental skill, just like reading and writing. People must be familiar with essential tech tools and concepts relevant to their fields and be ready and able to explore new digital avenues as they emerge.”
Fortunately, workers don’t have to meet this challenge alone. According to Greenberg, “[o]ngoing reskilling is a responsibility shared by everyone, employees and employers alike. Companies must provide learning opportunities, time and resources to help their staff keep pace with technological advancements. These could include training programs, workshops, online resources or partnerships with educational institutions.”
As opportunities are made available to them, “workers must embrace their identity as tech workers, regardless of their job titles. This means being proactive in learning new skills, adapting to new tools and being open to how technology can improve their work and lives.”
Greenberg issues “a call to embrace the new realities of the workplace, where technology is not just an enabler but a necessary partner in every career path. We can successfully navigate this new landscape by adopting a continuous learning mindset, seeking opportunities to upskill and leveraging technology to our advantage. The future of work is here, and it’s undeniably tech-centric.”
Is your employer adequately equipping its workers with opportunities to build the tech skills they need to survive and thrive in today’s technology-driven workplace? In addition to upskilling current workers, employers need to ensure that new workers have the hands-on skills they need to succeed.
Today, more and more employers are looking for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the skills needed. 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!
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Register for the Next SACA Gold Certification Workshop!
WHAT: SACA Gold Certification Workshop
WHEN: Monday, June 10 – Friday, June 14, 2024 | 8 am-4 pm
WHERE: Lakeshore Technical College, Cleveland Campus
SACA is excited to announce its next Gold Certification Workshop, offered in partnership with Lakeshore Technical College and LAB Midwest. This workshop presents an excellent opportunity for educators and workforce professionals interested in upskilling to gain valuable SACA credentials.
The workshop will feature assessments for 20 different Gold Level certifications, comprised of the Associate level certifications and many of the micro-credentials from the Certified Industry 4.0 Automation Systems Specialist certification. Participants will train on equipment before certifying in the specified testing areas.
IMPORTANT DETAILS:
CLICK HERE to register for the Gold Certification Workshop
For more information, download a Gold Certification Worshop flyer.
COST: $475 per day; includes lunch | $1,995 for the entire 40-hour week
Note: Silver certifications must be completed before taking gold exams. If you have not completed your silver certifications, please contact Lucas Dulmes at lucas.dulmes@gotoltc.edu.
When completing registration for this event please select the date/dates you would like to attend along with the SACA Gold Level certifications you would like to complete. Please select no more than 3 per day to allow enough time to complete each certification.
We look forward to seeing you in June at the Cleveland Campus of Lakeshore Technical College for the Gold Certification Workshop. To learn more about Lakeshore Technical College and how SACA certifications are helping students prove they possess the hands-on skills needed to excel in the modern workplace, check out this video:
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Robots Continue to Drive Adoption of Advanced Automation Technologies
Are you old enough to remember when robots were futuristic, rather than an ever-expanding part of our everyday lives? While most of us still don’t have Jetsons-level robots to take care of all our housework, many of us do own robotic vacuums that at least clean the floors on a regular basis.
Many of us also work alongside robots in the workplace. This is especially true if you’re in any kind of modern manufacturing. From welding robots to automated guided vehicles, robots have become deeply ingrained in today’s manufacturing facilities that are embracing all sorts of new advanced automation technologies.
In a recent Forbes article, author Steve Banker recounts his experiences attending MODEX trade shows in 2016 vs. 2024. In 2016, he only remembered three robotics exhibitors at the show. This year, however, “33 exhibitors had the word ‘robot’ or ‘robotics’ in their title. And almost all the large material handling vendors and systems integrators that don’t have the term ‘robotics’ in their name, were also displaying bots.”
That’s why his visit to MODEX 2024 led Banker to declare this “the year of the robot.” What caught Banker’s eye this year were the “robots that have ‘hands’ for picking cases or eaches.” According to Banker, “[e]ach picking involves picking individual units and putting those items in a container. Until recently, each and case picking were just too difficult for bots.”
The robotics on display at MODEX 2024 revealed solutions that have made each and case picking possible by combining five different technologies:
- Robotic arms: “This is a mature technology that has been used for years in automotive manufacturing.”
- Robotic “hands” powered by suction cups: “The solutions have compressors that provide the right amount of suction for picking different sizes and weights. There can be different arrays of suction cups.”
- Vision systems: “Vision systems combined with AI allow the system to know what suction cups to initiate and how much compression to use.”
- Artificial intelligence: “Machine learning also comes into play. For example, if the system has trouble picking a particular item, an alert can tell a planner not to allow that stock keeping unit to enter the robotic picking queue.”
- Software: “Finally, complex software can be necessary. If you are floor loading a truck with containers of different sizes and weights, the software knows that the weight must be evenly distributed, that easily crushed items need to go on top, and there is a Tetris type solve to make sure as many items as possible can be loaded. Pallet loading requires a similar type of software solve.”
While Banker notes that many of these solutions “picked slower than a human would and could not cover the same range of SKUs that a person could,” he notes that they’re the future because “people burn out on this kind of task after a couple of hours and need to be rotated to a different task. A bot just keeps working. It is also increasingly tough to hire warehouse workers. Finally, a bot can work in an environment, hot and cramped, that a worker would not.”
Should this concern humans who fear being replaced by robots? Absolutely not! Companies that have embraced new automation technologies report that employee fears of job loss are overstated, because these advanced automation technologies will not and cannot replace highly-skilled human workers. Simply put, there has to be someone to operate, maintain, repair, and troubleshoot these technologies throughout the facilities they’re used in.
Whether you decide to train a current worker or hire someone with the special skills you need, you’ll need to be sure they have the skills to hit the ground running. If they possess a certification from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA), you can feel confident they’ve already proven they have the knowledge and hands-on skills needed for working with advanced smart automation technologies. For example, companies looking to implement the latest robotics technologies would be interested in workers with SACA’s Certified Industry 4.0 Robotics Specialist certification. Be sure to check out SACA and all it has to offer!
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Skill Development Essential to the Future of Manufacturing
It’s no secret that United States manufacturers still struggle with an ongoing labor shortage. Those unfamiliar with the manufacturing “skills gap” might assume that it’s a result of the upheaval that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the problem existed long before 2020.
For many years, manufacturers have encountered difficulty filling open positions, particularly for jobs that require highly technical skills. The industry-wide embrace of advanced automation technologies, often referred to as “Industry 4.0,” has created a growing demand for highly skilled workers, but the supply of such workers has yet to catch up.
In fact, a 2021 study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute projected that more than two million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled by the end of this decade. As post-pandemic recovery continues, manufacturers must find a way to close the skills gap as soon as possible.
According to a recent IndustryWeek article by Josh Cramer, “career possibilities in the fields of additive manufacturing, robotics, automation and AI” will “require candidates who are properly trained in critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and innovation.”
Cramer notes that “[t]o generate a manufacturing resurgence in the U.S., we must tackle this workforce need with a multifaceted approach that includes building awareness—among both youth and adults—of pathways to entering the industry.”
Moreover, he believes that “[o]n the technical side, it is imperative that the candidates are equipped with enhanced skills, particularly for the benefit of small- and mid-sized companies that make up the majority of manufacturing in our nation (and must do more with less).”
While the manufacturing skills gap is a national problem, Cramer advocates for local solutions. For example, he believes “[t]here is great strength in leveraging national resources on the local level to create manufacturing skills programs. Bringing in local leaders in industry, government and academic to define skill sets, competencies and career pathways will both strengthen the local economy and help further a national manufacturing resurgence.”
In the author’s opinion, “[t]he future of US manufacturing involves innovation, education, and collaboration to empower the next generation and strengthen the nation’s manufacturing sector.” He envisions “local teams leverag[ing] the nation’s best practices and strategies, including outreach, onboarding programs and training for reskilling and upskilling.”
The collaboration needed will involve educators following the lead of industry partners to ensure that they’re teaching the advanced skills that industry needs most. Educators would also do well to prepare their students for career pathways that are defined by industry-standard certifications that represent a set of skills defined by industry as necessary to thrive in the modern workplace. 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!
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SACA & DCMA to Host Manufacturing Recruiting Technical Work Group
The Smart Automation Certification Alliance (SACA) is pleased to announce that it is partnering with the Dallas County Manufacturers’ Association to host an exclusive Manufacturing Recruiting Technical Work Group meeting on April 5th, 2024, in Garland, Texas.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The technical work group will identify the competencies employers are seeking when they hire and promote employees in these technical positions. Ideal participants include people responsible for operations, maintenance, process control and quality. This event is open to all industrial employers. There is no cost to attend. Continental breakfast is included.
WHO WILL BE PRESENTING
Get first access to updates from SACA Executive Director Jim Wall on new credentials, occupational alignment and further expansion plans. Guest speakers will share insights into topics like K-12 pathways, industry-education alignment, statewide adoption of certifications, and more.
WHAT IS THE NEED?
Are you struggling to find workers for your open positions? Are you investing in automation and now need to upskill/reskill your employees? Do you want a workplace culture where people seek to learn, grow their skills and stick around long-term?
Discover how industrial employers are hiring, training and retaining highly-skilled workers using micro-credentials from the Smart Automation Certification Alliance
- Learn about the only Industry 4.0 certifications developed by employers, for employers
- Get a roadmap to align highly-targeted micro-credentials with the exact skills incumbent workers in your company need
- Discover how to recruit SACA-certified employees graduating from advanced manufacturing programs
Interested? Here are the details:
SACA & DCMA Manufacturing Recruiting Technical Work Group
April 5, 2024
Dallas College – Garland Center
675 West Walnut Street, Garland, Texas 75040
Click here to download a flyer with the agenda.
Plan to attend? RSVP here.
About SACA
SACA sits at the forefront of the effort to certify students and workers who demonstrate the required knowledge and hands-on smart automation skills employers so desperately need. SACA’s certifications were developed in conjunction with industry partners who could speak from experience about their needs when it comes to workers able to work alongside a variety of advanced automation technologies.
SACA offers a wide variety of certifications in popular industrial skill areas, including certifications at the Associate, Specialist, and Professional level. For those wishing to focus on building a strong foundation of skills employers need, SACA also offers many micro-credentials that allow students and workers to add certifications as they master new areas.
For workers, SACA certifications can help market their smart automation skills to potential employers. For those employers, SACA certifications represent confirmation that a worker has the skills to hit the ground running in the workplace. To learn more about Industry 4.0 certifications and how SACA can help both future workers and industrial employers begin the task of bridging the Industry 4.0 skills gap, contact SACA for more information.
- Published in News
Automation and the Skills Gap: Hiring for the Present and the Future
Looking to add a highly skilled automation engineer to your company? Finding one may be more difficult than you anticipate—and not for the reason you might think. Although highly skilled workers of all kinds appear to be in short supply these days, the real problem may lie in how employers are communicating their needs to potential workers.
According to a recent IndustryWeek article by Ryan Secard, “[s]killed job candidates say it’s taking longer to find work, despite huge numbers of open positions in manufacturing, because hiring companies either don’t know what they want or can’t explain it to candidates.”
Could ineffective communication be responsible for making the skills gap even wider? According to Secard, “employers appear to be leaving a gap in the market between the open jobs they say they need to fill and how they’re explaining those opportunities to people seeking new positions.” Moreover, “[t]he issue companies are having with anticipating needed skills…is thanks to automation.”
For example, take a look at a common position many companies need to hire for on a regular basis: maintenance technician. Pretty straightforward, right? Not in today’s automated industrial world! As advanced automation technologies proliferate in the workplace, employers are left to guess about the future. Will they need more or fewer employees down the road? More importantly, what skills will their maintenance technicians need in six, twelve, or eighteen months from now?
Compounding these issues is the fact that more than half of job seekers in a recent survey indicated that they believed “a lack of skills is holding [them] back from finding meaningful employment.” Again, communication could be key, as many job seekers report that job descriptions “often include unrealistic minimum qualifications for relatively low positions.”
What can companies do to improve their communications with potential workers and begin filling the open positions they have? First, they must focus on developing a better understanding of the skills they need to hire for. With so many “job candidates confused and depressed,” “the onus is on companies to articulate the skills they’re looking for.”
Secard’s article notes a couple of approaches companies can take. For example, he points out Siemens AG’s focus on mechatronics skills to find versatile engineers. The idea is that “[a]n engineer trained in mechatronics would be capable with mechanical and electrical engineering, along with enough software engineering to implement both.”
An alternative approach can be found in Deloitte’s use of job canvases. “An example job canvas is split into columns: One for core competencies for the role, two columns for skills or programs expected but which may increase or decrease in importance for the role, and a fourth column specifically dedicated to skills the company anticipates will be necessary for the role in the future.”
How might a job canvas look for a manufacturing engineer position? “The first column may look similar to a traditional job posting…[listing] technical writing, systems knowledge, and product engineering.” “But the last column gives a blueprint for at least how the company expects the role to evolve — in this case, the theoretical manufacturing engineer should expect to later become skilled in data driven decision making, digital twins, and robotics.”
As companies continue to struggle to hire the highly skilled workers they need for a modern industrial workplace that’s more automated than ever, it’s important to remember that there’s yet another approach that companies can take. 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
Manufacturers Taking Cybersecurity More Seriously in Light of Growing Threats
Most modern manufacturing facilities bear little resemblance to the hot, dirty facilities many people still imagine when they think of manufacturing. Instead, today’s manufacturing workplaces boast clean, comfortable environs suitable for the advanced automation technologies that have enabled manufacturers to be more productive and efficient than ever before.
The advancements that result from new automation technologies aren’t without their costs, however. According to a recent IndustryWeek article by Stephen Gold, “These are harrowing times for manufacturing professionals who, in an era of Industry 4.0, are trying to integrate their information technology and operational technology while defending against the dramatically rising threat of cyber criminals.”
Eschewing these new technologies isn’t an option, according to Gold: “It’s not like they have a choice on whether to integrate their IT with OT such as machine automation, industrial control systems (ICS), robotics, programmable logistics controllers (PLCs) and building management systems (BMS). Successful IT/OT collaboration is critical to modern manufacturers’ digital strategies.”
Unfortunately, these same technologies have become “the portal where cyber criminals gain entry to the lifeblood of the company: factory operations.” Is the threat really that serious, though? Indeed, it is. According to IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence, “in 2021, manufacturing surpassed finance and insurance as the top targeted sector of cyber bad actors. Today, 1 out of every 4 cyber-attacks on business are against manufacturers.”
Why target manufacturers? One potential reason is the fact that many manufacturers have been quick to adopt new technologies but slow to ensure that those technologies are secure. Another key reason is that, “[d]espite FBI guidance, manufacturers pay the requested ransom more often than other industries – and at typically higher rates.”
Fortunately, manufacturers appear to be “meeting the challenge head on.” A recent study “found that American manufacturers’ level of cyber maturity is catching up to their accelerated pace of digital transformation. This is vital because, while financial extortion related to data theft is a serious risk, infiltration of operating systems with the intent to sabotage or even shut them down poses an existential threat to manufacturers.”
The first step to address cybersecurity risks is raising awareness of and acknowledging the issue. Much progress has been made in this area. The study found that, “[w]hen asked to rank cybersecurity as a business risk, 80% put it in the top five, 10 percentage points higher than three years ago. And no wonder: that same percentage experienced at least one breach resulting in unauthorized access to data in the previous 12 months.”
While not every manufacturer gets hit with a ransom demand, the effects of cyberattacks can be widespread and devastating. Manufacturers have reported issues ranging from operational outages that affected revenue to significant loss of business-critical data and intellectual property.
The key to effective cybersecurity remains efficiently managing IT and OT threats. However, “manufacturers face one primary obstacle to ultimate success: finding in-house expertise to oversee the cyber threat, a high hurdle considering the broader skilled talent shortage being experienced.”
The manufacturing skills gap is real, and it’s even more critical in the area of cybersecurity. According to a recent survey, “roughly 8 out of 10 manufacturers pointed to scarcity of talent and expertise as a key barrier to effective breach response within the last year.” That’s why it’s critical for manufacturers to hire highly skilled workers that can manage cybersecurity risks, in addition to operating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing the advanced automation systems that are being implemented.
How can manufacturers find the workers they need? And how can they be sure that workers have the hands-on skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace? Today, more and more manufacturers are looking for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the skills employers need. 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
Connected Workers Essential to Smart Factory Success
“The robots will steal all our jobs!” That’s the familiar refrain you’ve probably heard time and again when industries implement advanced automation technologies, such as robots, automated guided vehicles, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
But is there any truth to it? While advanced automation technologies may indeed replace human workers in areas where tasks are dangerous and/or repetitive, industry experts focus instead on the new roles created when new technologies enter the workplace.
Automation experts have always known that advanced automation technologies wouldn’t completely replace human workers. However, it’s becoming clear in factories everywhere that the secret ingredient to ensuring that these advanced technologies operate efficiently and productively is…ironically…human beings.
Specifically, the human beings modern automated workplaces need are so-called “connected workers.” According to a recent Automation World article by Eric Whitley, “[c]onnected workers are the human component within a sophisticated network of automated machinery, ensuring that systems run smoothly and efficiently. They provide the insight and oversight that machines alone cannot, adjusting operations in real-time based on data-driven feedback.”
Highly skilled, connected workers are “equipped with digital tools to interact with and control automated systems. Their key responsibilities include monitoring system performance, managing workflow adjustments and providing on-the-spot problem-solving.”
Companies that have already implemented a connected worker model report “significant improvements in operational efficiency and product quality…[via] fewer errors, reduced downtime and a more engaged workforce…transform[ing] traditional manufacturing environments into dynamic, responsive systems.” Connected worker success stories can be found at places like Siemens, General Motors, and Boeing.
So, what kinds of workers make the best connected workers? According to Whitley, “[c]onnected workers must possess a blend of traditional manufacturing skills and digital literacy. They need to understand not only the mechanics of the machinery but also how to analyze and interpret data. Equally important is their ability to interact with advanced technological interfaces that are central to modern automated systems.”
Connected workers “must be willing to update their skills regularly to keep pace with technological advances.” Likewise, companies seeking to automate must be willing to invest in ongoing training. “Companies that foster a culture of lifelong learning are better positioned to capitalize on the benefits of factory automation.”
Whitley notes that “[t]o prepare workers for these evolving roles, training methodologies have become more innovative, often employing virtual reality and simulation-based learning. These tools offer hands-on experience in a controlled environment, enabling workers to master complex systems without the risks associated with live operations.”
What steps does your organization need to take to effectively implement a connected worker model at your facility? In addition to upskilling current workers, employers need to ensure that new workers have the hands-on skills they need to succeed.
Today, more and more employers are looking for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the skills needed. 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
Ohio Megafactories Spotlight Shortage of Skilled Workers
Skilled Labor Shortage in OH as Semiconductor and EV Factories Announced
“If you build it, he will come.” That’s the famous line a farmer hears coming from his Iowa corn field in the movie classic Field of Dreams. Swap Ohio for Iowa and you might hear modern manufacturers saying the same thing, hoping with all their might that “he” will be skilled workers who come to Ohio if they build “it”: modern semiconductor and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing facilities.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal article by John Keilman, Central Ohio is “where Intel is building two semiconductor plants at a combined cost of more than $20 billion, and Honda and LG Energy Solution are constructing a $3.5 billion electric-vehicle battery plant.” While these announcements have been met with great fanfare, they’ve also caused a good deal of anxiety in Ohio.
Why? There’s great concern about finding enough highly skilled workers to staff these new facilities. According to Keilman, these new plants “aim to hire more than 5,000 workers between them, and local suppliers that will serve the factories likely will need thousands more.”
However, manufacturers already struggle to fill jobs around Columbus, “which has one of Ohio’s lowest unemployment rates and a flourishing logistics industry that competes for the same employees.” In fact, “[t]he region’s plants have thousands of open positions, a shortage that is causing some managers to join their workers on the production line.”
The shortage of skilled manufacturing workers is nothing new. This issue — commonly known as the “skills gap” — has been frustrating manufacturers all across the country for years. Experts believe, though, that “[t]he coming wave of megafactories, aided by billions of dollars in public incentives, could push the shortage into a crisis.”
As Keilman notes, “[t]he U.S. is experiencing a factory-building boom as companies, burned by overstretched supply chains during the pandemic, reshore some of their operations. The Biden administration also has given priority to the nation’s semiconductor and EV industries, calling them matters of national security and setting aside billions of dollars in subsidies to aid their growth.”
But what is being done to increase the supply of skilled workers? According to Keilman, “[t]he Semiconductor Industry Association warns that the building boom could come with a labor shortage. More than half of the roughly 115,000 new positions expected to be created by the end of the decade could go unfilled, the group projects.”
That won’t happen if Intel has its way. Based upon its experiences with facilities in Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona, “Intel has helped to design a training curriculum that will be offered at Ohio’s community colleges. The program…familiarizes students with semiconductor manufacturing so they can become technicians, an entry-level job that involves maintaining and troubleshooting equipment at the highly automated plants.”
Intel’s plans highlight the need for specialized training for workers in these megafactories that rely upon a wide variety of advanced automation technologies. That’s why “Honda…is talking to community college presidents, public school administrators and workforce development officials to develop pathways to its EV joint venture.”
So what should manufacturers in Ohio and around the country do to find the highly skilled workers they desperately need? How can employers be sure that workers have the hands-on skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace? Today, more and more employers are looking for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the skills needed.
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
Artificial Intelligence Saves Energy Costs in Iron Foundry
Will Artificial Intelligence Impact Every Industry?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere you look these days. Some laud AI as an exponential step forward in what technology can do to transform our jobs and lives. Others fear AI could be dangerous if used nefariously. Of course, authors like Carlos E. Perez in a recent Medium article jokingly play devil’s advocate: “Do you know what’s more dangerous than artificial intelligence? Natural stupidity.”
In all seriousness, it’s clear that AI has arrived and is here to stay. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to its applications. Manufacturers across the country and around the world are already implementing AI solutions in a variety of ways. For example, in a recent TechTarget article by Lindsay Moore, the author gives several examples of ways manufacturers are using AI today, including:
- collaborative robots (cobots) working alongside humans;
- robotic process automation (RPA) software handling tedious and repetitive tasks;
- digital twins providing insight into the performance of machinery;
- predictive maintenance improving safety and lowering costs;
- lights-out factories utilizing a robotic workforce with minimal human interaction;
- machine learning algorithms predicting demand;
- inventory management systems smoothing out supply chain issues; and
- visual inspection systems detecting faults in real time.
Some manufacturers may look at a list like this and fail to see how AI could help their particular industry. After all, aren’t there some industries that tend to be more on the low-tech side of things? Take your average iron foundry, for example. Melting down metal, pouring it into a mold, and letting it cool to solidify to make a wide variety of cast metal objects doesn’t seem like it would hold great potential for implementing AI, right? Wrong!
A recent Foundry Management & Technology article details how Danish iron foundry Vald. Birn A/S implemented AI technologies ”to optimize the process of filling sand molds,” resulting in significant energy savings. The foundry produces cast metal “parts for commercial vehicle manufacturng, construction and material handling machinery, hydraulic systems, transmission systems, heavy machinery, and defense systems.”
According to the article, the foundry adopted new AI technology “to monitor and analyze molten-metal pouring.” Here’s a brief breakdown of how it works:
“two laser beams are positioned to precisely locate a molten metal stream as it enters the mold, to control pouring in a way that is repeatable and reliable. As the stream enters the mold, sensors collect pouring performance data and software evaluates the information to continuously optimize parameters, to avoid slag build-up, variations in temperature and launder level, wear conditions for the stopper and nozzle, and similar problems that reduce dosing effectiveness.”
Birn CTO Lars Jørgensen noted that “[t]he technology helps us save a significant amount of energy because precise dosing into the molds is essential for determining the exact amount of energy needed to fill the molds adequately and allow the molten metal to flow perfectly into the molds.”
Iron foundry workers need not be worried about being replaced by AI, however. Jørgensen explained that “[t]he technology is a great aid to our operators, but it certainly cannot replace them in the whole process. It essentially serves as a skilled assistant, helping to optimize the pouring processes while operators can take samples of molten iron and perform other specialized tasks.”
Even if AI does not replace workers, the workers of today and tomorrow will need to learn new skills to keep pace with the advanced technologies being implemented in the modern workplace. That’s why manufacturers are increasingly looking to hire highly skilled workers that can operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair advanced automation systems.
Unfortunately, due to the ongoing “skills gap” facing industries across the country, finding highly skilled workers remains a significant challenge. How can employers be sure that workers have the hands-on skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace? Today, more and more employers are looking for workers with industry-standard certifications that prove they have the skills needed.
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
