The research was conducted amongst over 1,000 manufacturing professionals and was led by The Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF), a non-profit body for ergonomists and human factors practitioners, in collaboration with CV-Library. The study sought to ascertain the true perception and reality of automation and robotics amongst those who experience it first-hand.
Key findings revealed that most professionals (72.6%) feel society is scare-mongered into believing robotics and automation are a negative progression. In addition:
- Four out of five manufacturers (78.9%) feel more should be done to promote the benefits of automation and robotics in the workplace.
- Almost half of industry professionals (45.8%) claim the business they work for does not communicate the benefits of automation to staff, particularly to those involved in first-hand production.
- Unsurprisingly therefore, over half of industry professionals (52%) admit that there is resistance from employees when implementing new automated processes.
Furthermore, when asked who was responsible for promoting the benefits, respondents pointed the finger towards employers (80%) and technology suppliers (67.8%).
Commenting on the research results, Steve Barraclough, CEO of the CIEHF, said: “Robots and automation are regularly given a bad name. However, whilst automation might remove some mundane and repetitive jobs, it also makes a significant contribution to ‘upskilling’ employees, which is often overlooked.
“Automation requires programmers and maintainers in areas where they may not have been previously necessary. This presents a real opportunity to businesses and manufacturers that are embracing change. It’s essential to keep peopleat the heart of new technology and to ‘on-board’ staff at the earliest opportunity. Human factors plays a significant role in the on-boarding process and is essential to ensuring employees are not resistant to change.”
Lee Biggins, Founder and Managing Director of CV-Library, concluded: “These latest findings are good news for the UK’s labour market. Skills shortages are an ongoing concern across a number of industries, so it’s refreshing to hear that new technologies and processes in the workplace can help to close this gap and support businesses in upskilling their workforce.”