Investing in your employees is one area of business that always yields the greatest rewards.

From improving employee retention to building business resilience, providing opportunities for employees to upskill and progress can lead to improved operational business performance and output.

This, matched with investment in technology, particularly for the manufacturing sector, purpose-built automation, can be the key to sustainable future business growth.

Ensuring resilience, integrating innovation into processes, boosting competitiveness, and creating a readiness for market changes – are you focusing on innovation and upskilling as we prepare for the year ahead?

Markets are changing

The manufacturing sector has faced (and continues to face) some turbulent times, with the most significant impact coming from an ever-increasing skills shortage.

The demand for skilled employees has been outpacing supply for some time, with companies finding it increasingly challenging to fill critical positions.

In addition, a news report from Total People highlighted that 44% of workers’ core skills will be affected and are likely to change by 2027, due to shifts in market demands and the continued emergence of new technologies.

This is why it is so important to introduce upskilling programmes into business, identifying the skills you require to ensure operational success and innovation.

For example, think about what skills you will need in 2, 4, and even ten years from now. What new market trends are emerging? What new products or services would you like to launch? What new technology do you want to invest in to help you?

Bespoke automation

At Innomech, we know the importance of bridging the skills gap and finding the right people to support productivity and help ensure continued growth.

We also understand the need to remain competitive. To unlock opportunities, to introduce innovation into processes, to streamline production, and to improve your bottom line.

That’s why we continue to champion purpose-built automation systems. Integrating the most suitable automation solutions into products and systems to help improve productivity, upskill workforces, address the skills gap, and support future growth.

Unlocking upskilling opportunities with automation

Robotics and AI solutions are presenting real and positive transformations in the manufacturing sector, driving company and market progress as we use automation to optimise process workflows, products, and systems. Resulting in improving outcomes, reducing costs, and achieving greater sustainability.

The benefits of investing in automation and upskilling are not to be underestimated. For example, with the right level of investment and commitment, businesses can:

• Address the skills gap – using automation to meet demand and automate repetitive tasks to free up employee time and allow for upskilling in other areas.
• Allow you to create an agile workforce, enabling you to stay on top of industry changes and trends with ease, as you use real-time data to make the best and most informed decisions.
• Bespoke automation can help you find innovative solutions to complex problems, support greater efficiency in processes, and increase production output.
• Investing in upskilling can support employee retention, reduce turnover costs, and foster loyalty, ultimately leading to increased business resilience.
• As people gain a range of skills, businesses can adapt to new challenges with ease, reducing risk, and improving commitment to meeting industry standards and regulations.
• Continuous learning opens up valuable opportunities to expand knowledge and skill bases, enhancing employee career prospects, which in turn improves motivation, productivity, and efficiency.
• Innovation and upskilling to this degree can also inspire more women to enter the sector, bringing diversity and change.

Automation and Training

To counteract the skills shortage, improve productivity, and ensure long-term growth, businesses could also consider:

Short courses – can you provide employees with short courses to help teams and individuals quickly and effectively adapt to new systems and processes?

Apprenticeships – hugely popular, apprenticeships allow for hands-on, real-world experience.

Specialist training – for areas such as robotics and AI, can you provide specialist training to teams, upskilling to improve operational performance and levels of competitiveness?

Automation – purpose-built automation allows you to invest in automation that meets your specific requirements. From robot handling, PLC control, vision systems, and more, see how automation can support business growth and innovation.

Upskill today, innovate tomorrow

Upskilling should never be a one-time event. Instead, it should be continuous, where you continually look to address skills gaps, uncover and tap into opportunities, and gain a competitive advantage.

Automation is not replacing our workforces but rather enhancing and supporting them. Providing opportunities for individuals to grow as well as delivering innovations for businesses to thrive.

When we combine our investment in people and technology, we see an improvement in efficiency, well-being, and innovation.

Building processes and teams that can adapt to market changes, support sector challenges, and more is key to building a sustainable business.

Discover how automation can empower your team – not replace them. Read more.