By 2022, around four million industrial robots are expected to be in use in factories worldwide. They will play a key role in the further automation of production, which is urgently needed for a rapid economic recovery in the post-corona period. This will also increase the demand for qualified workers. The International Federation of Robotics is calling for education and training programs to be adapted accordingly.

"Governments and companies around the world should focus on providing the necessary skills to work with robots and smart automation systems," says Milton Guerry, President of the International Federation of Robotics. "This is necessary to fully exploit the potential of these technologies. The economic recovery in the post-corona period will accelerate the demand for robotics. Political and private sector strategies are needed to pave the way to a more automated economy for workers."

World Economic Forum on the working world of the future
"Currently, very few countries are taking a proactive approach to adapting their education systems to the age of automation," said Saadia Zahidi, expert on education, gender and employment initiatives at the World Economic Forum. "The successful countries have been focusing on human capital development for a long time. Some northern European countries, as well as Singapore, are probably conducting the most meaningful experiments on the world of work of the future."

According to the "Automation Readiness Index" published by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), only four countries have a mature education policy that already meets the challenges of an automated economy. South Korea leads this ranking, followed by Estonia, Singapore and Germany. Countries such as Japan, the USA and France are classified as developed - China still ranks as an emerging country.

According to the EIU, the governments' agenda must now include Multi-stakeholder dialogs, more training and international exchange of experience.

Change recruitment policy
As a short-term strategy at the corporate level, changing hiring policies is an option: "If you can't find experienced employees, you need to focus on the qualifications of the applicants rather than their job title," recommended Dr. Byron Clayton, CEO of Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) at the IFR Roundtable in Chicago. "You have to focus on the potential of the applicants. If you can't find experienced people, you have to hire someone who is capable of learning the job."

Setting the course for education and training
Robot manufacturers are already supporting initial and further training for robotics with practice-oriented training courses. "However, retraining the existing workforce is only a short-term measure. We need to start much earlier - school and training curricula need to be adapted to the demands of the industry for the workforce of the future. These are technical and digital skills, but cognitive skills such as analytical and critical thinking are just as important," says Dr. Susanne Bieller, Secretary General of the International Federation of Robotics. "Economies should embrace automation and develop the necessary skills. This is the only way to benefit from the advantages of technology - and not be left behind by international competition." as