Human Factors Education in Industry 5.0 Forum
Human Factors Education in Industry 5.0 Forum
Moderator: A/P Angela Tan, Head, Human Factors in Safety, Singapore University of Social Sciences
This talk addresses the urgent need to prepare Human Factors and Workplace Safety graduates for Industry 5.0. As workplaces increasingly integrate human cognition with advanced AI and robotics , specific technical knowledge can quickly become outdated. Therefore, we must upgrade our curricula by emphasizing core transferable skills, particularly critical thinking, resilience, and human judgment. Guided by national AI education principles, we will explore how centering education on pedagogy prevents an over-reliance on technology. By equipping students to proactively manage human error and collaborate safely alongside automated systems, we empower future professionals to drive organizational safety culture and design sustainable, well-being-centered work environments.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping not only what people do at work, but also how they think, collaborate, and make decisions. The future of education is not primarily about teaching AI tools or pedagogy, but about preparing people for effective Human-AI collaboration. This presentation explores how education must evolve beyond AI literacy to develop AI-ready graduates who can work confidently with intelligent systems while exercising critical thinking, creativity, ethical reasoning, and sound judgment. Drawing on real-world experiences in AI and robotics deployment, the discussion will examine the future competencies, human-centered AI principles, and industry perspectives needed to prepare learners for the age of intelligent work.
Industry 5.0 is emerging as an evolution of Industry 4.0, focusing on human-machine collaboration, not just automation. Industry 5.0 marks a significant shift in industrial production systems, integrating human cognition with the advanced capabilities of robotics and artificial intelligence. Through this synergistic collaboration, manufacturing processes are optimized, where both universal robots and human operators work “side by side” to drive productivity in factories and other workplaces. This new industrial paradigm poses significant safety challenges and opportunities for the safety professionals today, as well as in the future.
The presentation will share the following safety challenges related to human factors in the context of Industry 5.0 which safety professionals can and will encounter:
Adapting to new technologies – employees must learn to use new technologies and complex systems which can lead to accidents if applied wrongly.
Ensuring ergonomics – With the rise of automated systems, it is critical that these systems are designed with ergonomics in mind to prevent injuries.
Managing human errors – With the increased use of automation, there is a need to manage human error proactively to prevent accidents.
Creating a safe workplace – designing workplaces that are safe and conducive to human performance with special focus on collaboration between humans and advanced technologies
Addressing organisational culture – ensuring that the organisational culture continues to support safety and enhance safety ownership among employers and employees.
Reflecting on a 40-year legacy of "theory-to-practice," I will explore the transformative power of Human Factors Engineering (HFE) across academia and global industry. The journey began with 15 years of research and teaching at UH and UTPA, where I championed community-based ergonomics at institutions like The Lighthouse of Houston. This foundation paved the way for a 25-year tenure at Foxconn, starting with the group’s inaugural HFE keynote in 2000. From pioneering large-scale ergonomics curricula and disability job design to establishing global safety standards, I have demonstrated how HFE has evolved into a strategic cornerstone. Today, these principles are integrated into Foxconn’s Industry 5.0 and ESG frameworks, aligning human-centric design with global sustainability and ethical governance.
The talk addresses the need to realign human factors education with the emergent paradigm of Industry 5.0, which centers on well-being, socio-ecological sustainability, and systemic resilience. Unlike Industry 4.0, which leans heavily on technology-driven automation, Industry 5.0 demands that work system design balance productivity with personal well-being and sustainability. The presentation assesses prevailing university curricula against these principles. Do existing programs foster the cognitive, organizational, and ethical competencies required to support this paradigm? The presentation will offer pedagogical improvements to equip human factors professionals with the holistic, adaptive capabilities they need to navigate future workplaces.