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Defining roles in a digital age

A report from UI Labs and ManpowerGroup identifies 165 data-centric job opportunities that will shape next-gen manufacturing in the U.S.

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In the 1967 film “The Graduate,” family friend Mr. McGuire has one word of advice for young college grad Benjamin Braddock: “plastics.” That was then; 50 years on, the one word of advice today might be “data.”

Whether a young person plotting a future career or a well-established production worker trying to stay relevant, a job focused on the newest currency—data—will likely provide streams of opportunity for years to come. Next-generation manufacturing will revolve around some form of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), with data being collected and analyzed from every device on the floor. Manufacturers need the right workforce in place to compete in this new environment.

 

A new workforce analysis from UI Labs and ManpowerGroup identifies just what those data-centric jobs might be—165 careers that could help shape next-gen manufacturing in the U.S. Collaborative robotics specialist, manufacturing cybersecurity strategist, enterprise digital ethicist… These are the kinds of jobs that will put new technologies into practice and remain globally competitive.

The two organizations say the report, Digital Workforce Succession in Manufacturing, is the first to offer such a comprehensive workforce playbook to help companies develop a talent pipeline for existing and future factories. The research includes in-depth profiles for 20 representative roles that span a range of digital technologies and business practices, such as virtual reality/augmented reality systems specialist.

 

 

“The new roles we have identified will help prepare American workers for the technological shift that is underway, providing attractive, well-paying jobs for the next generation of manufacturers,” said Caralynn Nowinski Collens, CEO of UI Labs, a university/industry cooperative focused on accelerating innovation. “A smart factory is going to be very dependent on this new workforce.”

The report also describes the type and level of educational degree associated with each position, ranging from an associate of applied science in robotics technology to a Ph.D. in mathematics or engineering.

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