Automotive Leadership: Drive Revenue by Leveling Up Your Workforce's Skills
July 30, 2021
The automotive manufacturing industry is transforming – and fast. Few industries are experiencing equivalent levels of whole industry transformation. The global demand for electric vehicles has skyrocketed. This has created a tech race. The most profitable companies will be the ones capable of manufacturing the most innovative and industry-leading product, the fastest, while earning the highest profit. In pursuit of this title, auto manufacturers worldwide are beginning the transformation to smart factories equipped with AI technology and advanced machinery.
This industry-wide initiative to digitally transform is complicated by a significant obstacle – the skills gap. Current automotive manufacturing workforces are not capable of supporting a transformation with advanced technology. Workers, even auto engineers, are not equipped with the skills necessary for a smooth transformation and functionally support day-to-day activities once a transformation is completed. This is because technology is changing so rapidly.
The National Association of Manufacturers' Outlook Survey reported that the skills gap was the number one challenge for manufacturers over the last nine quarters [1]. This significantly hurts the transformation goals of automotive manufactures. The most obvious answer to this problem is to hire employees with the skill sets needed to drive transformation; however, new tech talent is not graduating with degrees encompassing the skills required for the automotive industry's future. As a result, by 2028, America's manufacturing skills gap may leave 2.4 million jobs unoccupied and result in a potential economic loss of $2.5 trillion [2]. To overcome this obstacle and drive revenue, companies are turning to upskilling to ensure a viable pipeline of talent is available for future transformation goals.
Upskilling workforces is trending in the automotive field, not only to ensure a talent pipeline, but also for its many additional benefits. PwC's Talent Trends 2020 reports that CEOs of companies with more advanced upskilling programs experience 43% higher workforce productivity and 37% greater business growth [3].
Reducing turnover is a huge revenue builder for the manufacturing industry. According to the National Association of Manufacturers' Outlook Survey, turnover is another top concern for manufacturers [4]. And shockingly, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence reports that the turnover rate in the manufacturing industry is 37%. This is a significantly higher number than the national average turnover rate, which is only 3.6%. The disparity of 33.4% can lead to massive losses in revenue due to the high cost of turnover, loss of potential revenue from reduced productivity levels, and company culture degradation [5]. Upskilling is a great way to counter this. A known result of upskilling is reduced employee turnover – 69%of CEOs saw employee retention rise when upskilling their companies [6]. This is a massive advantage for manufacturing companies that struggle with retention rates and the high associated costs of turnover.
Companies that invest in upskilling are25% more profitable than companies that don't [7]. The increased levels of profitability come from upskilling's impact on revenue builders like productivity, growth, and retention rates. Digital transformation also contributes to a company’s profitability. Companies that transform create better quality products, cheaper due to access to advanced automation technology. In fact, 75% of automotive CXOs believe intelligent technologies will completely transform their industry, according to Accenture's research, and 60% believe that AI will assist in tasks in their organizations within the next three years and result in boosted productivity levels [8]. Upskilling will drive these transformations.
These revenue-building benefits make the investment in upskilling worth it, especially when upskilling results in an ROI of at least 100% [9].
It’s clear that the manufacturing industry agrees and recognizes the need for upskilling because 70% of manufacturers invest in workforce training programs to prepare for transformation [10]. And, in 2020, manufacturing companies spent $26.2 billion on training for new and existing employees to combat the skills gap and labor shortage [11].
How Can You Easily and Quickly Launch an Online Learning Platform to Upskill Your Workforce for the Future of Work?
The automotive industry of the future does not have to leave the workforce of the present behind. With training through an online learning platform that meets the automotive company's unique needs, the upskilled workforce will be more knowledgeable and competent than a new hire and will drive revenue. Training is the bridge between the current workforce and the future workforce.
Launching a workforce upskilling for your company can seem like a daunting task; however, it is made simple by partnering with an online learning platform and content creation provider.
An online learning platform that will prepare your current workforce for the future should have these key components to upskill effectively:
Readily available, custom branded platform with custom content and training courses that are relevant to you're the skills your workforce needs
High-tech AI-powered online learning environment that is easy to use and scalable
Actionable insights and analytics used to track employee progress/performance, enabling a quick implementation of improvements
Engaging delivery methods that keep employees actively learning
Positive user experience and high retention rates
Turnkey systems capable of immediate implementation with no learning curve
An upskilling program is the most essential tool you can provide to your employees to build revenue. Partner with a company that can deliver a world-class platform and helps your employees learn and grow with ease.
Amesite Offers a Single, Easy to Use, Scalable Solution
Launch an upskilling program that builds revenue by keeping your workforce's skills up to date, reducing turnover, increasing profits, productivity, and growth.
Amesite is a high-tech AI-enabled online learning platform that creates custom-branded Community Learning Environments. Amesite also offers the creation of turnkey intuitive micro-courses that require no training to use. Amesite has an outstanding and industry-leading 98% retention rate across its educational programs.
Amesite's platform offers excellent insights to learners and employers using advanced data analytics, unparalleled ease of use, features that build communication and engagement, and provides compelling custom content.
Amesite has experience curating course content and robust online learning platforms that are engaging and deliver the necessary skill sets to automotive workforces to drive transformation, and ultimately revenue.
Amesite provided Ford Motor Company's employees with an online environment to upskill. "Our successful pilot with a diverse, global cohort of full-time professionals at Ford showed that the online learning delivered on our AI-driven platform was convenient and beneficial," said Amesite Founder and CEO Dr. Ann Marie Sastry. "A survey of participants showed that their interest in subject matter deepened, that the fresh content delivered via Amesite's AI helped them relate course material to real-world events, and that the quality of customer service and instruction were high."
Amesite also partnered with Wayne State University to create micro courses for their School of Engineering. Farshad Fotouhi, Dean of Wayne State University College of Engineering, recognizes the need for education in course topics like artificial intelligence, mobility, communication between vehicles and infrastructure, electrification technology, and manufacturing [12].
In reference to the online learning platform and course curriculum designed for WSU, Fotouhi said, "Working with Amesite, we had nearly 100% retention in our programs. That's not an accident. Artificial intelligence is critical in creating engagement and is important for us not only to build programs, but to build programs that people complete." He goes on to say, "The feedback from our students and instructors has been overwhelmingly positive. In working with Amesite, we have access to the best technology with a partner that we trust. They customized to our needs and to our market. And helped us deliver in a way that supports the professionals who are transforming the field of digital mobility."
Amesite can provide your company with world-class upskilling to train your workforce for your company's digital transformation to ensure increased revenue outcomes.
Amesite's smart, intuitive Community Learning Environments help automotive manufacturers thrive. Request a Demo!
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