Bridging the Skills Gap with AI and a Connected Manufacturing Workforce

As the manufacturing skills gap continues to widen, the industry is seeing negative trends in safety, quality, and productivity—resulting in the need for strategic new practices focused on knowledge and information management.

According to “The Knowledge Management and Industrial AI Imperative: Bridging the Skills Gap with AI, Connected Workers, and Virtual Operations Centers,” an executive brief from LNS Research, many manufacturers report a greater than 75% reduction in average tenure and time-in-position for frontline workers. They’re also seeing a dramatic increase in hiring churn and green-on-green training, as new employees shun existing onboarding practices and oppose antiquated training methods.

To address these critical issues, global manufacturing executives must develop a connected workforce that will bridge the skills gap, stepping in to improve productivity, future-proof operations, and help ensure competitiveness in the rapidly changing business landscape.

Key findings:

• 84% of manufacturers say that losing experienced personnel impacts operational performance
• 50% of manufacturing leaders are adopting innovative new training methods and practices to improve training materials
• 25% of manufacturers are currently piloting Connected Frontline Workforce (CFW) applications