FANUC are deeply committed to supporting automation education at lower foundation level through both their Training Academy and the delivery of robotic equipment to training locations such as schools and technical colleges .
How can we secure the future of automation ? Education , expertise and sustainability
By Oliver Selby , Head of Sales at FANUC UK
18
According to ONS data , almost one fifth of all workers in the UK manufacturing industry is aged 55 or over . Less than 10 % are aged between 16 and 24 . Over the next decade , 20 % of the workforce will retire , taking with them years of engineering and manufacturing expertise .
If UK manufacturing is to remain internationally competitive , we need to prioritise the development of a skilled pipeline – that is , people who can design , build , programme , integrate , operate and maintain manufacturing technologies . We also need to heavily embrace automation as a route to countering unskilled personnel shortages and increasing productivity .
Despite having a strong manufacturing industry , the UK lags behind other
Oliver Selby , Head of Sales at FANUC UK
industrialised nations in its uptake of automation . According to the International Federation of Robotics ’ 2022 report , robot density in the UK manufacturing industry was 111 robots per 10,000 employees in 2021 , which is very low for a Western European country ( Germany , in comparison , has 397 per 10,000 employees ).
I believe that together , investment in education and expertise can accelerate our adoption of automation and go a long way towards addressing the problems facing UK manufacturing .
Industry-relevant qualifications for Gen Zs
FANUC firmly believes that education is the key to securing and nurturing a pipeline of new manufacturing talent . The content of university degrees is already changing to become more industry related , and school leavers now have the option of studying for degrees such as an MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and a BEng in Robotic Engineering . However , there are still only 30 universities in the UK offering undergraduate courses in robotics and automation . In addition to this , we can see a widening gap in the provision of post-GCSE technical education , where there is a need for more