Motivation

In the ongoing development of Industry 4.0, there are signs of a focus on technical aspects and a neglect of the human component. However, Industry 4.0 applications should not only enable more efficient production processes, but also serve as tools to promote the individual development and satisfaction of production employees. For this reason, the key lies in designing Industry 4.0 applications for people and empowering employees to do the same. It is about designing and implementing technologies in a way that prioritizes the needs, skills and values of employees. The vision is that advanced applications not only optimize work processes, but also bring about a positive change in the work environment and empower workers in a way that promotes their individual development.

Objectives

The aim of the project is to equip production employees with the necessary skills to deal effectively with specific Industry 4.0 applications. The aim is to provide support to employees who are at risk of losing their jobs due to new requirements. This includes not only technical expertise, but also the ability to creatively apply and proactively overcome challenges associated with new technologies. Practical training content should ensure that employees understand and master the applications.

The aim is to create a supportive environment in which employees can benefit equally from the advantages of Industry 4.0, regardless of their background and previous training. Empowering production employees to use the applications profitably not only creates a more efficient working environment, but also promotes the personal and professional development of each individual.

Approaches

The strategy for enabling Industry 4.0 is based on a two-stage approach. First, a precise landscaping of competencies is carried out by analyzing the most relevant use cases in production. This enables the development of differentiated skills profiles for employees. In the next step, the focus is on disseminating tailored training content that is supported by modern, interactive methods. This dissemination is to take place primarily through acquired multipliers, specifically the Bildungswerk der Hessischen Wirtschaft (BWHW), as well as velpTEC Edutainment.

Acknowledgments

This project is sponsored by the Caterpillar Foundation. Thank you for the opportunity to work on this project.

Funding source & Project sponsors

Consortium partners