How do we train and upskill the new industrial workforce? Some insights from the production line

Across global manufacturing, executives are confronting a dual reality.

While advanced technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), robotics routing and working with low-code/no-code tools are revolutionizing production and supply chains, there is a need for new training and skills development for the human workforce to keep up with the pace of change.

More than 70% of manufacturers identify these technologies as the key drivers of transformation, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs report, yet nearly the same proportion points to a widening skills gap as their biggest barrier to success.

The challenge is stark. In the next five years, an estimated 40% of the core skills in manufacturing will change, leaving companies to urgently rethink how they train, upskill and retain their people.

The factories of the future, therefore, won’t just be powered by machines but will depend on workers equipped with new, constantly evolving capabilities.

A paper recently published by the World Economic Forum, Empowering Frontlines: Retaining, Training, and Upskilling the Industrial Workforce, showcases the critical importance of outcome-focused skills development and the proven strategies and approaches for training and upskilling.

It features case studies from site visits conducted as part of the Global Lighthouse Network and the Frontline Talent of the Future community, detailing what effective training and upskilling of the industrial workforce look like and how they are delivered.

Businesses can now measure their return on investment from training and upskilling using metrics including:

Unilever’s site in Pouso Alegre, Brazil, initially developed the role of “technical operator” to fill a substantial gap in its maintenance organization.

To enable operators to serve as first responders on maintenance issues, the company’s mechanics and mechatronics upskilling programmes integrate technical training with problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

As a result, the mean-time to repair has decreased by 27% from 3.1 hours to 2.3 hours. Meanwhile, breakdown losses have dropped by half, underscoring the effectiveness of the programmes in minimizing operational disruptions.

A similar initiative is the Digital Leadership Essential Programme, offered by the digital storage solution provider Western Digital at its site in Prachinburi, Thailand. This programme has been a game-changer for the company, as it trains frontline workers to engage with new product-related complexities.

The programme offers multidisciplinary training courses that allow participants to earn credits towards a degree while learning about a variety of topics, from the basics of the fourth industrial revolution to advanced machine learning.

The impact has been substantial: the percentage of frontline full-time employees receiving such skill training has surged by 49% and employee engagement scores have risen by 21%.

This comprehensive digital upskilling programme alleviates automation-related anxieties while equipping the workforce with advanced skills.

A Digital Learning Hub has been operating in the same room as one of the four major production lines at Mettler Toledo – a supplier of precision instruments and services in Changzhou, China – since 2022.

While not a core part of the operator training programme, over 50% of frontline employees take after-hours courses and engage in collaborative digital projects, gaining skills such as coding, digital simulation and computer-aided design (CAD).

By participating in the Digital Learning Hub, operators feel a greater sense of ownership, resulting in an 80% reduction in voluntary turnover and accelerated paths to promotion. The hub itself is also run by previous operators who, through upskilling, were promoted to digital coordinators.

It reinforces digital culture and provides a safe, stimulating environment for frontline employees to learn, collaborate and continuously upgrade their skills.

When faced with rapid growth and the need to onboard 2,400 new hires during peak seasons, Chinese home appliance manufacturer Midea, in Si Racha, Thailand, introduced “Meike,” a virtual reality (VR) and generative AI (GenAI) powered system that enables at-scale upskilling of employees from different cultural backgrounds.

This in-house platform simplifies training by converting documents into online courses – over 28,000 so far – with just one click, while supporting four languages and offering voice-to-text functionality to engage a diverse workforce.

By combining AI teaching, VR training and automated certification, Midea has cut core skill qualification time by 63% (from eight days to three), increased multi-skilled labour in the supply chain by 6% and reduced employee turnover by 40% (from 16.5% to 9.9%).

In another instance, technology company Hisensehitachi in China has a highly automated shop floor. Employees play an essential role in complex welding operations, machine monitoring and maintenance of a safe production environment.

Workers can perform these tasks from day one in the “training dojo” located on the shop floor. The “dojo” is split into four core areas: skills dojo, automation dojo, safety dojo and lean dojo. Employees are trained on life-saving tasks, such as using a fire extinguisher, in the safety dojo, where they utilize dummies and gamified simulations.

Day-to-day skills such as welding are honed in the skills dojo, which integrates VR with AI-enabled on-screen feedback and support. The training dojo has helped to increase job matching to 98% while reducing the standard training cycle by 32%.

Another promising example includes Lenovo in Monterrey, Mexico, which deployed the GenAI-enabled “manufacturing control tower” to support operations across the shop floor.

However, the most meaningful results have come in the form of an AI co-pilot coach that assists users in root-cause problem solving. This advanced system integrates real-time production data on an hourly basis, along with over 30,000 historical issues from a comprehensive knowledge base.

The control tower performs real-time key performance indicator analysis, conducts voice-enabled interactive root-cause analysis in 99 languages and instantly recommends corrective actions through an AI engine.

The system facilitates continuous on-the-job training, as workers can interact with the tower in real time and solve problems on the shop floor. It helps them understand what to do next, rather than ask a manager or wait to learn in a classroom.

The results have been transformative: average units per hour have surged by 42% and the mean-time-to-repair has dramatically decreased by 95%.

So what’s actually working, when it comes to preparing frontline talent for the future? The most promising initiatives make learning practical, personal and integrated into daily work.

AI-powered virtual coaches guide operators through real-time problem-solving. Meanwhile, VR training dojos on the shop floor and digital hubs run by operators themselves blend cutting-edge tools with skills such as problem-solving, collaboration and adaptability.

By investing in personalized learning, multilingual in-house courses and human–machine teamwork, manufacturers are building a workforce equipped for future factories and supply chains.