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The robotics industry is constantly changing and evolving. New robotics technologies and developments in automation are quickly creating exciting career opportunities at every education level – from micro-credentials to PhDs. Here is where you can learn more about robotics careers in manufacturing and how these new technologies are benefiting workers

NEWS

How On-The-Job Training is Helping Robotics Careers

March 23, 2021

The increasing presence of robotics in the manufacturing industry is improving productivity and efficiency across the board. However, it’s also creating a need for more and more skilled workers to perform alongside those robots. A 2018 report by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte found that a whopping 4.6 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled over the next decade, with 2.4 million of those jobs remaining unfilled due to a lack of training, with robotics technician schools working to fill this gap. 

While educational institutions across the country are rising to the task with state-of-the-art robotics programs and training courses,  some of the best training opportunities are actually occurring outside of the classroom. There are so many mechanical technicians currently working in manufacturing that have transferable robotics skills needed to become a Robotics Technician. For these people, the transition to careers in robotics is made much easier through on-the-job training.

Learn by Doing

Robotics technicians in particular will find themselves working in a very hands-on manner with robots on the manufacturing floor. In these cases, on-the-job training provides a practical knowledge that is instantly applicable to the job. By learning as they work, the technicians’ education is focused on what they need to know for the job, saving time and emphasizing practicality. 

More Effective Learning 

Another benefit of on-the-job robotics training is being there when things go wrong. Whether there’s a malfunction in the machinery or just a miscalculation of some sort, being present to work through the problems teaches the technician how to solve or even prevent those same problems in the future. In short, working through smaller headaches now will lead to less headaches in the future. 

Better Knowledge Retention

Understanding the theory behind working with robotics is important, but there’s nothing like actually working with robotics to drive the point home. By training on the job, workers are learning to perform their functions while simultaneously seeing the results of those functions and gaining a better understanding of their purposes. For instance, you can look at a diagram that shows you how to build an engine, but actually sitting down and building it will have a more impactful learning result. The education that comes from doing something repeatedly is always going to be retained in a more practical way than simply hearing or reading about a subject. 

Better Employee Retention

Studies show that regular on-the-job training in robotics increases worker retention rates. By integrating learning into the employee experience, manufacturing companies will be helping their workers grow on the job and become more proficient in their fields of expertise. Growth and personal development lead to greater satisfaction and encourage skilled workers to stick around. After all, it wouldn’t do much good to fill robotics jobs with workers just to have them move on to other industries. 

One of our main priorities at the ARM Institute is to fill the need for skilled workers in the manufacturing industry. A big part of doing that is communicating to those who might be interested in working with robots that you don’t have to go through a long and expensive degree program to get there. On-the-job training for robotics technicians can facilitate a large part of the educational experience and provide the industry with a whole new generation of enthusiastic skilled workers alongside the exciting advancements of robotics in the world of manufacturing.

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