In today’s digitally driven world, high-tech skills have become essential for all people in all industries, not just those in technology-based positions at tech companies. In 2022, the World Economic Forum reported over half of all employees worldwide required significant reskilling and upskilling to keep pace with today’s technological advancements. This underscores the importance of high-tech training for individuals in non-technical positions, which can help them remain competitive and future-proof their careers.
Labor statistics tell us there were 15.7 million employees in U.S. manufacturing and about 600,000 of those are engineers, by far the most of any industry. That means there are 15.1 million manufacturing employees who aren’t engineers, and many of those individuals require a deep knowledge of the highly technical, mechanical or automated work that is central to their companies’ success to do their job more effectively and, ultimately, have a positive impact on the organization’s bottom line.
The manufacturing industry has embraced automation, data analytics and the internet of things (IoT), leading to significant advancements in production efficiency and quality control. It’s been shown that technical training, such as understanding the basics of industrial protocols, for instance, allows individuals in marketing, sales and administrative roles to collaborate more effectively with their technical counterparts. This leads to better teamwork and more efficient project management.
The delivery of the necessary information can be as varied as the information itself, but no matter how it gets delivered, everyone at every company can benefit from a baseline of understanding. For manufacturers, there’s no question that high-tech training should be part of every new employee’s first few months, even those individuals in non-technical positions.
Adapt or die. It’s not just a Darwinian principle of species survival, it’s a corporate reality. How do manufacturers adapt to the profusion of automation and the IoT? RTA, the leading authority on industrial connectivity, has created the Automation Protocols 101 Training session to deliver the ins and outs of the most prominent industrial communications technologies that integrate your process equipment. It’s perfect for industrial networking newbies as well as those in non-technical roles at manufacturing companies looking to stay ahead-of-the-curve.
If you’re looking for something a little less intense, RTA also has its free Automation Education email series. It delivers byte-size nuggets of industrial protocol information twice a week right to your inbox. And, as always, if you have any questions about industrial connectivity, give us a call at 800-249-1812 or email us.