In today’s evolving market, both employers and employees must work toward growth. While it’s a worker’s job to be on top of their development, companies should also provide support for their workforce. After all, it’s the workforce’s skills that get the job done.
Employers today must provide continuous learning to address the widening skills gap—especially in manufacturing and light industry, where technological advancement, automation, and growing demands are rapidly changing the landscape of work.
The Widening Skills Gap
According to the Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum, 39 percent of today’s skills may become outdated in the next five years.¹ While manufacturing and light industrial fields are not as tech-heavy as the finance, healthcare, and technology sectors, they’re still rapidly transforming—and the main reason is technology.
As employers, it might be a reasonable solution to find qualified individuals externally. However, many workers in industrial fields today are struggling to find suitable careers. Automation, AI, robotics, digital systems, and modern tools have raised the barriers to entry, making it more challenging for workers to keep up.
With increased competition in the job market, it could be more strategic to offer training and professional development to existing workers. Not only does this ensure business competitiveness, but it also addresses the growing skills challenge.
The key is to invest in reskilling employees.
Benefits of Upskilling Light Industrial Workers
Today’s technology is quickly evolving, and it will undoubtedly advance in leaps in the coming years. This is why it’s crucial to keep the workforce updated with the latest advancements. As an employer, you have the opportunity to make this change. After all, this can benefit both the workforce and your organization.
1. Increased Productivity and Efficiency
Modern technology offers the advantage of streamlining processes and enhancing results. Whether you’re facing tight deadlines, navigating regulations, or maintaining optimal working conditions, technology can elevate your operations.
Training employees in new tools and processes enables them to complete tasks more efficiently. Technology increases accuracy and reduces errors, empowering your team to work with greater independence and confidence. The result is a notable boost in productivity.
2. Higher Retention and Job Satisfaction
Modern employees seek long-term success and growth. If you can provide this, they’re more likely to stay within your organization.
For example, if a worker joins your company as a warehouse associate or production line worker, their career plan should allow them to progress to roles like machine operator, team lead, quality control, or even have a managerial role one day.
Upskilling your workers will make them feel valued, which can increase morale and loyalty. Ultimately, it will help your organization reduce turnover.
Read more: How to Make the Most of Temp Workers—and Get Them to Stay
3. Stronger Safety Practices
Modern safety standards often require new equipment and protocols. When you provide top-grade tools, your workers can be more prepared to address workplace risks, reducing accidents and production downtime. This may include:
- Automated and advanced machinery equipped with safety sensors, emergency shutoffs, or advanced user interfaces that workers must understand to operate safely.
- Digital safety and web-based compliance systems that replace paper-based log systems, ensuring sustainable and environmentally friendly initiatives.
- New handling techniques for materials.
- Regulatory updates from OSHA to keep workers informed regarding new protocols.
Read more: Critical Safety Training Every Temporary Industrial Worker Needs on Day One
4. Flexibility and Workforce Agility
Businesses must often adapt to growing demands, trends, and economic changes. With a skilled workforce, you’ll be able to shift more easily, allowing you to become resilient, especially in today’s rapidly evolving market.
As the world recovers from the recent pandemic, we may yet experience another Great Resignation.² According to Lightcast, a few of the main reasons are low pay, lack of advancement opportunities, and workplace environment. Today, many employers are offering more advancement opportunities to attract talent.
5. Strong Internal Talent Pipeline
Instead of continuously recruiting employees outside, you can build strong internal teams that can fill higher roles with increased responsibility. This is where leadership training can become a highly valuable tool for engaging and retaining top talent.
Your workforce already knows the company culture and operational practices. They have knowledge of your different clients and suppliers. While talent can still be found outside your business, it can be more beneficial to invest in your existing workforce rather than filling roles due to turnover.
6. Competitive Edge in the Market
According to Gallup, companies that invest in their workforce are 11 percent more profitable.³ This is because employees tend to be more involved in their work when they know their employer supports their professional journey, allowing them to innovate and contribute creative ideas, build better client relationships, and drive organizational success.
Furthermore, it helps establish your employer brand among potential employees, allowing you to attract more talented workers. Whether through referral programs, online reviews, or word of mouth, your existing employees can become advocates for your organization.
5 Strategies in Reskilling Your Workforce
Reskilling primarily focuses on learning new skills. Due to digital transformation, automation, and artificial intelligence, many of today’s jobs need to be transformed. However, reskilling is not just about shifting a career; it can also equip employees who want to transition to different roles or industries.
Upskilling, on the other hand, is about developing an existing skill to meet the changing demands of any role. Both initiatives can be achieved through the same methods. Here are five practical methods you can use to ensure that your workforce is ready to face today’s challenges.
1. Employer-Led Training Programs
One of the most common reskilling or upskilling programs is providing in-house training. This may include technical expertise like:
- Machine operation
- Safety compliance procedures
- Inventory management systems
- Supply chain tracking software
- Logistics platforms
- Enterprise resource planning
Each training should focus on a specific area that will enhance a worker’s knowledge. Look for specific skills necessary in your organization and allow your workforce to either enhance what they already know or learn new skills that can be utilized in other parts of your business.
2. Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a formal and often long-term training for inexperienced individuals. Instead of looking for workers with years of experience, consider offering apprenticeship programs. These often last for several months to a year, allowing new hires to learn technical skills, and making them more suitable for light industrial roles.
Read more: Onboarding Essentials: How to Quickly Integrate and Retain New Industrial Hires
3. Partnership with Educational Institutions
To level up your efforts, consider partnering with technical schools. You can help design training modules that align with your company’s skill needs and the general industry. By working with an educational institution, you can be an active contributor to the workforce’s skills development. This also allows your partner institution to be updated with the latest demands and trends in light industrial fields.
4. New Technologies Upskilling
Digital literacy can only be achieved if your organization utilizes the technologies themselves. You can use technology in many ways to improve your operations. This may include:
- Online time-tracking systems
- Automated scheduling systems
- Digital collaboration tools
Even in simple ways, technology can improve your operations. By investing in modern technologies, you can promote digital literacy across the company.
Moving forward, you can offer training in data analytics, AI, cybersecurity, and cloud functionality. While you don’t have to be thorough in these areas, it’s best to equip your workforce with a fundamental understanding of these technologies to keep them up to date.
5. Continuous Learning Environment
Understand that technology and any other skills require a lifelong learning approach. Technology can be tricky to incorporate, especially in the light industrial field where physical or manual labor is the main component. However, even beyond digital literacy, robotics and machines have evolved and become more complex than before.
This requires a proactive and continuous approach to learning to ensure competitiveness. Focusing on growth and development can foster a work environment that motivates workers to stay adaptable in today’s ever-evolving landscape.
Keep your workforce up to date with Horizon America.
As your dedicated staffing firm, Horizon America can provide you with qualified workers for light industrial roles. But more than that, we focus on long-term engagement and growth.
We know how to fill roles with lasting candidates who are dedicated to their professional growth and development. We also have a salary guide that helps employers understand the latest salary and workforce trends in the industry. Visit our guide here.
Whether you need permanent, temporary, or temp-to-hire staff, we have your back. Be our partner today.
References
- “Future of Jobs Report.” World Economic Forum, 2025, https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf
- Hatton, Tim. “The Next Great Resignation Is Coming.” Lightcast, 5 Feb. 2025, https://lightcast.io/resources/blog/the-next-great-resignation-otj
- Desimone, Rob. “Improve Work Performance With a Focus on Employee Development.” Gallup, 12 Dec. 2019, https://www.gallup.com/workplace/269405/high-performance-workplaces-differently.aspx
