SkillsFuture Jobs-Skills Insights offer practical solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises to adopt Industry 4.0 and upskill the workforce

SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) has partnered Bosch Rexroth Regional Training Centre (BRRTC) to publish the latest SkillsFuture Jobs-Skills Insights¹– A Practical Approach for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to Adopt Industry 4.0 (i4.0) and Upskill the Workforce.

Singapore aims to be a global business innovation and talent hub for manufacturing, with a target for the manufacturing value-add to increase by 50% come 2030. The adoption of i4.0 is critical to the attainment of this vision. A well-executed shift to i4.0 technologies and processes can lead to improved outputs, more streamlined operations, and greater capacity to innovate. However, some enterprises, particularly SMEs, may need more help with such a shift, given their smaller scale of operation, and a lack of the requisite knowledge and skills.

This issue of the SkillsFuture Jobs-Skills Insights discusses the benefits and challenges faced by SMEs in adopting i4.0, and identifies the key skills needed for the successful adoption of such advanced technologies.

The issue spotlights three industry Proof-of-Concept (POC) projects conducted by BRRTC, to demonstrate how SMEs can upskill and reskill their workforce in specific areas. It also highlights the skills associated with the adoption of i4.0, that have been identified by SSG as showing high demand growth². Examples of these in-demand skills include Internet of Things Application, Robotic and Automation, Data Collection and Analysis, Programming and Coding, and Predictive Maintenance. 

The three spotlighted projects are part of more than 20 projects, with 16 SMEs, that BRRTC has enabled since Feb 2020. As a SkillsFuture Queen Bee and industry leader, BBRTC is a forerunner in championing skills development for the manufacturing sector, particularly for the SMEs. BRRTC helps them identify and acquire the skills needed for the i4.0 transformation, by providing skills advisory and support.

BRRTC works with these enterprises through a six-step process as follows:

1. Identify and agree on the problem statement;

2. Analyse the problem together with the enterprise;

3. Recommend i4.0 solutions and targeted training courses;

4. Support impacted teams to implement solutions and ensure smooth adoption;

5. Monitor progress and impact of Proof of Concept, and;

6. Scale up the adoption of i4.0 organisation wide based on its potential.

The SkillsFuture Jobs-Skills Insights can be accessed: A Practical Approach for SMEs to Adopt i4.0 and Upskill the Workforce. For more information on the insights and priority skills, please refer to the annual Skills Demand for the Future Economy Report 2022, please visit https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/skillsreport.

¹ The SkillsFuture Jobs-Skills Insights complements the annual Skills Demand for the Future Economy report.

² Skills demand growth refers to the relative increase in demand for a skill from 2019-2022, where skills with high demand growth are more likely to see shortages now and in the near term.

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