At least since the Hannover Trade Fair for Industrial Technology in the spring of 2014, Industry 4.0 has become Germany’s synonym for a new Industrial Revolution based on digitalisation, automation, networking and flexible production processes. The resulting production facilities are capable of manufacturing different products and multiple versions of products “to order” without retooling delays.
Control and problem-solving competence are in demand
Industry 4.0 holds out the prospect of a surge in productivity which will bring a new wave of rationalisation in its wake. The vision of a factory (almost) devoid of human beings is looming ever closer. Many high-tech companies have already made a start at turning it into a reality. As yet, however, the specifics of what Industry 4.0 really means cannot be foreseen with any accuracy.
It has already been some years since the first automatic manufacturing facilities were installed. These are controlled and maintained by skilled workers who completed their initial vocational training in an era when Industry 4.0 was unheard of.
Generally the importance of IT knowledge is increasing. Control and problem-solving competence are in demand. The current occupational profiles in the metalworking and electrical occupations, particularly those of the Mechatronics Fitter and the Production Technologist, have gone some way towards reflecting this change. They provide common minimum standards and are designed to be technology-neutral, giving the companies and part-time vocational schools scope to adapt them to current needs. But Industry 4.0 also calls for a new quality of IT know-how.
Even today, companies are cooperating more with partners in the higher education sector to train the next generation of skilled workers. But vocational education and training must not leave this field to the higher education establishments alone, particularly as no uniform standards exist as yet. On the contrary, it must develop its own concepts for Vocational Education & Training “4.0”. These include new partnerships between learning venues and hybrid qualification routes in collaboration with higher education establishments, e. g. in the context of advanced vocational qualifications.