The impact of the skills revolution on the hydraulics market

Whether in Europe or in fast-growing countries such as the Middle East, industrial and mobile manufacturers, as well as end-users, will be facing a number of technological challenges in the near future: hardware complexity is increasing at a breathtaking pace.

The impact of the Papy Boom on the industrial market

Qualified hydraulic experts from the Baby Boom generation are gradually moving towards retirement. The global economy, meanwhile, will face a revolution in the way employers interact with their employees.

The rate of technological development has reached an all-time high. More than ever, we have entered a new industrial era: Industry 4.0. New technologies are arriving on the market every day. This represents a major challenge for the company and its employees. They will need to integrate these technologies into their daily personal and professional lives on an ongoing basis. Training and self-training will become essential, and the ability to learn will become a key factor in staying employable!

As far as the talent shortage is concerned, today’s employers are finding it hard to hire specialized staff, technicians and engineers. In Europe, 3% of the population will retire in the next 5 years (4% in Germany, 3.4% in the USA). This situation is set to worsen if nothing is done to train young students in industrial rather than IT professions. Companies need to adapt to these technological transformations now.

Finally, Millennials and Generation Z will make up 2/3 of the workforce by 2030. This generation no longer has the same vision of work as previous generations. Back then, a worker’s skills were forged within a single company. This concept is now outdated. Young workers build their careers within several companies with more or less different activities. They are looking to acquire new skills. This is a not insignificant consequence of the loss of talent in certain areas of activity.

How should academic institutions react?

Since government, union and industry have not taken this new situation sufficiently into account, the skills shortage is set to worsen. The transmission of hydraulic know-how and the experience of former workers will vaporize if nothing is done.

If companies want to continue to ensure 2-digit growth, students will need to be trained in Hydraulics and the new technologies available on the market. The same applies to all existing staff within an industrial company.

Unfortunately, Hydraulics is still a minority subject in university mechanical engineering departments, whereas industry has a great need for hydraulics in the design of complex industrial processes. Companies then have to hire expensive foreign subcontractors to maintain and repair their plants.

Some prestigious institutions in the Middle East have understood this and have invested heavily in academic training using ID System technology and equipment. New features are to be added to this new equipment.

ID System offers the educational sector a complete range of hydraulic training benches and accessories to enable training centers and universities to update their hydraulic training equipment. ID System also provides teachers and trainers with advanced training in teaching equipment incorporating intelligent, connected technologies. Always keeping an eye on new developments, our benches are constantly upgraded with the latest technology developed by the most famous hydraulic manufacturers.

Will the skills revolution lead to a hybridization of professions and profiles? It’s a question that’s still being debated.