How education and training systems can support a digitally-enabled workforce for the manufacturing industry of the future: an exploratory study
PUBLICATION DATE: 8 August, 2023 PUBLICATION AUTHOR/S: Melinda Laundon; Paula McDonald; Jacqueline GreentreeThe future of industry and manufacturing, often referred to as Industry 4.0, promotes the integration of physical and virtual worlds, with cyber-physical systems that support processes across a range of industries (Müller, 2020). The Australian manufacturing industry has been significantly impacted by Industry 4.0 and its associated social, organisational and technical challenges (Mason et al., 2022). Human manufacturing workers now interact with a variety of machines and technologies, including artificial intelligence, autonomous robots and collaborative robots (cobots) that assist employees in their work (Bonfield et al., 2020). Advanced manufacturing organisations, in particular, use innovative technology such as 3D printing, powder-bed laser printing, nanotechnology and laser machining to improve products and processes. Manufacturing is increasingly infused with technology; a fact that various levels of government – federal, state and sometimes local – along with industry peak bodies, have highlighted in policies, white papers and industry incentives that seek to advance Australia’s manufacturing base in order to meet productivity needs and enhance the nation’s global competitiveness (Senate Economics References Committee, 2022). Manufacturing is also vital for export trade, innovation and anchoring jobs in other industries due to its supply chain requirements (Dean et al., 2021). The pace and significance of sectoral change has been further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, throwing into stark relief the need for Australia to develop, and in some cases redevelop, manufacturing capabilities to maintain national security and prosperity (Worrall et al., 2021). The renewed understanding of the importance of local manufacturing was highlighted by the 2022 Senate inquiry into Australian manufacturing. The inquiry found that Australia ranks last amongst Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for manufacturing self-sufficiency and that the decline appears to be entrenched, stretching back over 30 years (Senate Economics References Committee, 2022).
RELATED PROGRAM/S:Human-Robot Interaction Program based at QUT Publication link
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