Bridging the Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap in the Machine Manufacturing Industry
(improved competence development
through job market analysis). One
concrete example was PONSSE Plc’s field
project, which focused on after-sales
services, especially field maintenance of
the harvesting equipment where Machine
Learning was to be used to recognize the
needed oil change interval. Hydraulic oil
and filters are currently changed at fixed
intervals, approximately every 1800 hours,
and optimized change interval would mean
remarkable savings.
Machine Learning Academy events will be
organized also in the future.
Recommendations on how companies,
academia and governments can take
positive steps to address:
Develop a customized curriculum for
your industry
Instead of trying to compete generally
in AI with leading tech companies such
as Google, we recommend becoming a
leading AI company in your industry
sector where developing unique AI
capabilities will allow you to gain a
competitive advantage. How AI affects
your company’s strategy will be
industry, company and situation-
specific.
Machine Learning Academy lasts about
three calendar months, and the planned
total effort for participants, including the
project work, is 100 working hours.
Feedback and experience from the first
two MLA courses suggest that this is
enough to achieve the planned learning
targets, depending on the participants’
ability to study on top of their daily duties.
Also, the course project seems to be a good
way to make the learning more concrete
and get commitment from various
stakeholders.
Focus on educating the whole company
personnel
Rather than establishing separate AI
units within the organization, we
recommend that AI competencies and
understanding should be increased at
all levels – from the management level
to the shop floor. The same principle
applies on the society level.
C ONCLUSIONS
This paper has discussed the current skills
gap in machine learning adoption and
relevance of the Machine Learning
Academy, its benefits and the implications
for the manufacturing and machine
building industries. Although the skills gap
is likely to remain for the foreseeable
future, there is clear need for tailored
Machine Learning Academy types of
programs to help companies develop their
employees to the right direction with
desired skills and encourage them to start
experimenting with AI. With the positive
feedback received from Academy
participants, it has been decided that
IIC Journal of Innovation
AI training should encourage concrete
pilots and use cases
Build AI training curriculums that
encourage concrete pilots and use
cases. This helps to turn AI concepts
into practical value.
Reform existing public education.
Explore opportunities to establish an AI
education voucher or an education
account which would stimulate
functioning adult education markets.
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