Voice of the Manufacturing Manager 2024 Part 2: Upskilling and New Skill Sets
A strong organization thrives with happy, well-trained, and engaged workers who contribute their skills and knowledge. Strengthening this vision involves a commitment to upskilling—enhancing employees’ capabilities while improving their overall performance.
91% say their company is making upskilling a priority for workers
This year, 91% of respondents said their company is prioritizing upskilling initiatives to enhance worker skills, a significant increase from 77% in 2023. Only 9% are not focused on upskilling. The emphasis on employee development reflects the industry's growing recognition of skill enhancement as a key driver for adapting to new technologies and maintaining productivity.
Is your company making upskilling a priority for your workers?
[Upskilling: increasing a worker's skillset to help them improve in their current roles, while reskilling involves teaching workers skills to transition to new roles.]
Top Upskilling Initiatives
Manufacturing companies that prioritize upskilling focus on various methods, with 71% providing on-site or on-the-job training, 52% offering access to an online training platform, and 47% covering tuition for courses and training. Tied with this, 47% are also giving paid time off for training. Additionally, 38% offer career and professional development guidance, and 23% are incorporating mobile apps or wearable devices into their upskilling programs. Compared to 2023, there has been growth in support for training courses (47% this year, up from 32% last year) and a more balanced distribution across initiatives, signaling a wider variety of upskilling strategies.
What are you doing to help your team upskill? [Select all that apply]
Kerrie Jordan, Chief Marketing Officer at Epicor, leads the global go-to-market efforts, bringing together her deep product innovation and strategic marketing experience to drive brand growth and customer engagement across the make, move, and sell industry communities.