Workforce readiness for Industry 4.0 from the perspective of employers: Evidence from the Czech Republic

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore to what extent industry representatives deem employees’ readiness as satisfactory for the implementation of Industry 4.0 elements, to determine how the availability of related positions in the market is perceived and, on that basis, to identify the implications for the education system in terms of structure and content. Mixed research of an exploratory sequential design was used. Analyses of in-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 41) were carried out, followed by quantitative data collection (N = 146) through survey items corresponding to formalized research questions. The findings revealed that the set of skills suggested by other researchers as key for implementing Industry 4.0 and ensuring future competitiveness was not recognized as currently necessary or missing by the respondents. Although the respondents appreciate the importance of personal characteristics like responsibility, loyalty, communication skills, and other soft skills, these characteristics and skills are often missing. Respondents from high-tech industries tend to perceive more significant gaps in STEM education and skills. Implications for the education system in terms of its content (STEM and soft skills) and structure (organization of technical education and lifelong learning) are suggested.