ABSTRACT
The skills requirements of the workforce and the current level of skills are significant concerns for industries including SMEs in the transformation from traditional manufacturing processes to the new Industry 4.0 revolution. The future essential skills that the workforce will need are critical thinking, problem-solving, creative thinking, people managing skills, effective use of emotional intelligence, fast and accurate decision-making, good communication and negotiation skills, among others. The workforce also needs to possess new skills in the IT domain such as data analytics and cloud computing. In the new revolution, many jobs will depend more on innovative thinking capabilities and the ability to work in teams, coordination, and networking skills than on physical abilities. As the Industry 4.0 technologies are widely adopted, it is imperative to equip the workforce with the necessary skills. A huge demand supply wide can be anticipated if timely action is not taken in this direction. This chapter highlights the necessary skills required by the current workforce for Industry 4.0, and the challenges faced by industry to meet the skilled manpower.
