Workforce Readiness in Action - Identifying the Skills Gaps Holding Back Automation Adoption
Business challenge
Skills & Training
Sector
Manufacturing
Technology or capability
Automation & Robotics
Skills & Training
The Challenge
UK SMEs recognise the potential of robotics and automation, but adoption remains low. Research showed that while technology is available, many businesses lack the skills, confidence and capability needed to implement and sustain change successfully.
MTC's Solution
Working through the Workforce Foresighting Hub, an Innovate UK initiative, MTC brought together SMEs, technology providers and educators to understand the skills and capabilities required for successful robotics adoption.
Using a structured workforce foresighting methodology, the team:
- Mapped the complete adoption journey
- Identified critical workforce capabilities required at each stage
- Assessed the availability of training and education provision
- Identified gaps preventing adoption
- Developed recommendations for future workforce development
The study identified 47 capabilities needed by SMEs to successfully adopt robotics and automation technologies.
Technology investment alone does not guarantee productivity gains. Organisations need the right skills, capabilities and leadership to realise the benefits.
Professor Mike Wilson, Chief Automation Officer, MTC
The Outcome - what we found
Skills are the missing link in technology adoption
The research revealed that many SMEs struggle not because the technology is unavailable, but because their workforce capabilities have not kept pace with the demands of adoption. It identified a broad range of needs, spanning both technical skills and capital procurement capabilities.
Key challenges included:
- Understanding where automation could deliver value
- Building a business case for investment
- Selecting and managing suppliers
- Managing organisational change
- Operating and maintaining new technologies
Benefits to the Industry
The findings informed recommendations for:
- New upskilling programmes
- Enhanced apprenticeship content
- National collaboration between industry and educators
- Workforce development initiatives to accelerate automation adoption
- Aligning the identified workforce requirements with the newly established Robot Experience Centre to further support adoption
The study demonstrated that workforce readiness is a critical enabler of productivity, competitiveness and technological transformation.
How This Informs the Workforce Readiness Assessment
This research formed the foundation of MTC's Workforce Readiness Assessment methodology.
While the foresighting programme assessed workforce readiness across an industry sector, the Workforce Readiness Assessment applies the same evidence-based approach at an organisational level.
Today, MTC helps businesses:
- Understand future capability requirements
- Assess workforce impact
- Identify skills gaps
- Develop tailored workforce action plans to prepare employees for technology adoption and business transformation
By understanding capability gaps early, businesses can reduce risk and accelerate adoption of new technologies.
Lance Knowling, Future Skills Advisor, MTC
Discover more
You can read the full 'Future-proofing UK SMEs: Integrating Robotics and Workforce Development report here.
You can also discover Robotics and Automation for yourself at MTC's Robot Experience Centre, designed to help manufacturers explore the possibilities and make confident decisions quickly and with less risk.
