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effectively. Take AI-powered production scheduling. These systems can optimize shift patterns, flag late shipments, or even forecast defects. However, without someone to interpret those insights, sense-check the logic, or adapt plans to on-the-ground realities, the tech loses value.
Tools on their own won’ t deliver results. But teams using them effectively will.
Smart systems, smarter roles
Despite all this, a third of manufacturers are currently delaying investment, according to Make UK’ s Q1 Manufacturing Outlook report. And given today’ s economic uncertainty, this is incredibly understandable. But while caution might offer shortterm financial comfort, it can also create long-term competitive risk.
The companies pulling ahead are those that see workforce development as a strategic asset. In fact, those seen as the most productive are already investing 26.2 percent more in workforce development than their peers. This is often in areas like GenAI and agentic agents to automate and support operator activities, providing guided task management and linking rewards and incentives to the attainment of new operator skills. All essential in the years ahead.
But to build a sustainable pipeline of talent, manufacturers need to go beyond this and take a longer-term view. The roles emerging in manufacturing today look very different to those of ten years ago. They require fluency in technologies like machine learning, robotic process automation, and digital twin simulation.
The businesses pulling ahead are those investing in technology as well as the people who can make it work
Building the right pipeline
This often means supplementing traditional training approaches, which aren’ t enough anymore. Such initiatives could include partnering with local education providers, creating internal academies for upskilling existing staff, or rotating workers through different departments to build broader systems knowledge.
Indeed, some manufacturers are even collaborating directly with organizations like Make UK’ s National Manufacturing Skills Taskforce, or tapping into local skills improvement plans( LSIPs), to align technical needs with future hiring pipelines.
At the same time, fostering trust and transparency around the tools cannot be ignored. Put simply, if manufacturers want to succeed in overcoming the skills gap, they can’ t afford not to bring their people along for the journey. Because if employees don’ t
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