Samsara research reveals operations leaders want to develop existing workers
Samsara has released new research that shows 56 percent of physical operations leaders in the UK and Ireland want to use new technologies to train, upskill and reskill existing employees.
Data for the 2023 State of Connected Operations Report was collected from 300 physical operations leaders across the UK and Ireland, and shows that 79 percent of these leaders plan to invest up to £1,200 per employee this year to reskill them to use the latest tech.
It comes as the report identifies major skill gaps that leaders have identified in their workforces.
Of the 300 surveyed, 54 percent said safety and knowledge skills, such as compliance regulations, health and safety management, safety standards, and safety auditing and training are lacking. Moreover, 53 percent said digital skills, including being able to use digital devices, apps and access to networks are also falling behind. A lack of sustainability knowledge and skills, was cited by 53 percent, in areas such as environmental data collection, carbon accounting, and regulatory expertise.
By investing heavily in digital technologies over the next 18 months, physical operations leaders are hoping to overcome the skills shortage. Around two-thirds, 64 percent, of leaders plan on introducing digital workflows to help guide their workers through their daily tasks, while another 62 percent want to invest in AI for employee coaching. Just over half, 53 percent, want to utilize a combination of augmented and virtual reality as a means of reskilling and training.
Of the organizations that have already used the technologies on offer to train and upskill their workers, 53 percent have noticed higher employment retention rates. Half of the organizations analyzed have experienced an uptick in employee engagement levels and 47 percent have noticed a substantial increase in productivity.
Philip van der Wilt, SVP and general manager EMEA, Samsara, said: “With training and upskilling employees a clear priority for physical operations leaders in the UK and Ireland, investing in new technologies to boost workforce development has never been more important.
“Technology creates opportunities for new roles in physical operations, innovative solutions to address safety and increased potential for revenue and net new jobs through safety and sustainability initiatives. Tech should be at the heart of key workforce initiatives within the industry, as organizations look to retain employees and attract new recruits.”
