January 31, 2025
Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that AI and robotics have the potential to automate up to 30% of work activities in 60% of occupations by 2030. In recognition of International Day of Education, the Caterpillar Foundation is reflecting on how its educational partners are preparing the workforce in the face of these changes and a rapidly automated world.
To ensure workers are upskilling to grow their careers and meet manufacturing demands, Grenoble INP launched the Industry 4.h project in 2021 in collaboration with the Caterpillar Foundation. The project works with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and organizations focused on workforce training in Europe to design accessible and practical programs that meet the specific workforce needs of today and the future. This includes the delivery of customized content across formats from online modules and in-person workshops, to mentoring and on-the-job training. In France, the project specifically targets unemployed individuals, including those with disabilities, through partnerships with associations for jobseekers.
“As trainers specialized in the field of robotics, we have benefited from the Industry 4.h project by integrating innovative approaches such as scriptwriting and serious games into our training programs on Industry 4.0 and 5.0. We have been applying and improving them continuously in classes for job seekers, in particular for groups of production and assembly line operators, as well as for maintenance agents,” said Olivier Suc, educational manager at the Isère training center of UDIMEC, an Isère member of the French Union of metalworking industries and trades, Union des Industries et Métiers de la Métallurgie (UIMM).
The Industry 4.h project has also launched pilots in other countries. In Germany, teams are actively piloting quality management and predictive maintenance modules. In Belgium, the focus is on supporting digitization in human resource departments. In Italy, teams are supporting the development of skill sets for evolving job roles in manufacturing across Europe.
“Workforce readiness remains at the heart of industry evolution and innovation,” says Asha Varghese, Caterpillar Foundation President. “Caterpillar Foundation is proud to help create a sustainable training ecosystem that enables workers to adapt to new roles, enhance their skills, and build resilience – to create a future where human creativity and technology work hand-in-hand.”
Caterpillar works with diverse agencies to provide local health clinics across sub-Saharan Africa with reliable power.
Learn More CommunityThe King’s Trust in partnership with the Caterpillar Foundation is training young people for success!
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