by Charlotte Gurney
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is innovative tech that is being integrated into industries across the economy. The Engineering and Manufacturing sectors are already seeing shifts from the way that AI tech is having an impact, whether that is on something as straightforward as administrative functions or the practical processes of Manufacturing and Engineering. Globally, we are likely to see ongoing change in these markets as AI and machine learning continue to disrupt the way that they function and recruit.
Does AI mean job losses in Engineering and Manufacturing?
This is one of the big questions that is consistently asked when it comes to the impact of AI on a sector like Engineering and Manufacturing. Fears about a reduction in the number of available roles in this sector could have a valid basis - but only with respect to lower level skills. A much more likely reality, one that is already beginning to emerge, will be the creation of new roles to support the evolution of AI as well as a brand new and fairly unexplored market in which it will be possible to establish a new career path. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2022 the biggest career opportunities are going to lie in areas such as data science and machine learning. Those with specialist skills working in STEM industries are likely to find themselves with a much broader range of opportunities - and their skills in high demand.
Applying AI to global Engineering and Manufacturing organizations
The impact of AI is going to be hard to avoid in the years to come and there will need to be adjustment for both professionals and organizations to ensure that workforces continue to support evolving business objectives.
Upskilling is going to be essential. In order to successfully integrate and work with AI, Engineering and Manufacturing organizations are going to need people with the skills to do this. Currently, AI is an almost unknown area and few people have the experience to approach it confidently. This is going to make upskilling a priority in the coming years, acquiring new skills that could either enhance an existing role as businesses expand with AI resources or allow talented individuals to retrain to enter entirely new fields.
Working with a recruitment partner to overcome uncertainty. As the Engineering and Manufacturing sector changes in response to the need to work with more machine learning this is going to create a lot of uncertainty where hiring is concerned. In this field, proven experience may not be something that any candidate can show and it’s going to be essential for organizations to be able to seek out new benchmarks to identify the best candidates. Partnering with a workforce provider, such as Volt could help to solve this issue - for businesses and for candidates too. A trusted partner with insight into the way that the Engineering and Manufacturing sector is evolving will have the understanding and experience to help make the right connections in this emerging area.
AI has the potential to be transformative for Engineering and Manufacturing and is already making an impact. Adapting to this change is going to be essential for individuals and organizations across the sector, both in terms of practical processes and experience, and recruiting to fill brand new roles.
Contact Volt today here