Top courses to upskill manufacturers

The last few years have proven that manufacturers need to be agile to respond to market demands at all levels of the operation without increasing costs and waste or sacrificing efficiency. And to be more efficient, manufacturers need to ensure that their workforce’s skillsets stay relevant, which means providing them with meaningful and continuous education and training. CEOs, IT, and finance executives are the ones making the big decisions when it comes to technology investments, but are they truly getting the return on investment from their workforce? Understanding the product’s value will prevent their workforce from resorting to older, manual systems.

Evolving the manufacturers workforce

Digital transformation has quickly become an essential part of any successful business strategy which has also resulted in a skills gap. A recent SYSPRO research report showed that while 38% of businesses upskilled staff to use business systems to their full extent to drive effective and efficient business operations in the face of disruption, 61% of businesses had no intention of building long terms skills training programs to enable a digital workforce. Manufacturers and distributors are simply not engaging with the new workforce, yet the new workforce is digitally savvy.

The manufacturing workforce is expected to acquire the necessary skills to be able to solve problems and meet customer expectations. Investing in an ERP system and other business systems is an expensive exercise and by not investing resources into training and education, manufacturers will not get the full return on investment. This is where manufacturers may lose their competitive edge if they do not upskill their workforce.

Industries need to continuously bridge the skills gap whilst retaining their current workforce.

Here’s a list of top courses manufacturers should consider in 2023 to stay ahead:

1. Finance

By learning the financial aspects of manufacturing, employees can improve their processes and reduce costs and improve efficiency. For example, a controller is the person responsible for managing cash flow, overseeing budgets, and preparing financial statements. If they do not have the proper training, there can be confusion which can have severe financial implications. With proper finance education, they will develop these important finance skills and be able to practice better accounting abilities.

2. Manufacturing

There are critical skills needed when it comes to the manufacturing business. Examples of training and education in manufacturing can include job responsibilities of a production operator, opportunities in the manufacturing industry, interior plant technician training, and product assembly training. By providing training in this area manufacturers will be creating a more valuable workforce who will have the experience needed to help make the business more efficient.

3. Distribution

Educating your workforce on distribution is highly beneficial as it will develop more effective sales planning and techniques, establish better sales opening skills, reach new customers and be able to target existing customers with new ideas, and most importantly learn more about utilizing ERP technologies which will support and improve client relationships.

4. Administration

Essential administration skills are the cornerstone of creating a workplace that elevates all aspects of a manufacturing operation. From increased productivity to increased corporate communication, training in administration is vital. Learning, for example, how to properly use systems and read data will improve business efficiency.

5. Business Processes

Training in business processes provides the workforce with the needed skills for onboarding, equipment knowledge, and process and safety training. The manufacturing workforce will be less likely to make mistakes that affect their efficiency and productivity. If manufacturers provide education and training, their workforce will have the knowledge required to complete processes efficiently in their roles.

6. Digitalization

Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing every part of the manufacturing business, from equipment to processes. For example – With IoT supported by cloud systems, manufacturers could use real-time data to accurately predict when their processing equipment needs maintenance. By being trained on systems, manufacturers can rely on their workforce to use systematic methods to diagnose problems in an efficient manner.

With the commitment to education and training, manufacturers can turn a workforce built for the past into one that’s fine-tuned for the future. With a more efficient workforce, organizations can increase their output and better meet the demands of the evolving industry.