BE-04

(Oral presentation, session Business and Ethics, 14.50 - 15.10 hrs)

The industrial sector plays a pivotal role in the Dutch economy. Not only find almost two million Dutch workers employment in the industrial sector, 25 percent of the Netherlands’ gross national product is being generated by this sector (VNO-NCW & MKB Nederland, 2016). Therefore, the emergence of smart industry, which is focused on the optimal usage of ICT and state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques to timely meet individual customer demands, is expected to make a significant impact on industrial employers, employees, and the Dutch economy as a whole (Smart Industry, 2018). Within smart industry, technicians are fulfilling a key position as these workers assure that industrial manufactures can make use of the newest production systems and techniques. However, these technological developments come with a challenge. As HCSS and TNO (2013) explain, the new technologies are considered to make tech labour more complex and require highly skilled technicians. Therefore, we determined the competencies technicians need in order to function in smart industry. An interview study (N=54) was conducted involving CEOs and HR directors from both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and larger organizations operating in the Dutch industrial sector. From the collected data, five technological developments were derived that are expected to have an effect on the work of technicians. Based on the identified technological developments, twelve competencies were found in terms of: knowledge (3), skills (6), and attitudes (3). In order to make the discovered developments and competencies more explicit, an observation study was conducted in two industrial manufactures. Our results showcase that a future-proof technician: possesses expert knowledge, has analytical abilities, and is able to cope with uncertainty. In our implications section we provide HR practitioners with practical tools to make their technicians ready for a future in smart industry. The implications are directed towards the technicians’ continuous personal development.

References

Smart Industry (2018). Smart Industry Implementation Agenda 2018-2021: Dutch Industry Fit for the Future. Retrieved April 11, 2018 from: https://www.smartindustry.nl/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SI-Implementation-Agenda-2018-English.compressed.pdf.

The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) & TNO (2013). The European Labor Market and Technology. Employment, Inequality and Productivity. Den Haag: HCCS

VNO-NCW, & MKB Nederland (2016). Nederland maakt! Over het belang van industrie en industriële waardeketens voor Nederland. Retrieved April 11, 2018 from: https://www.vno-ncw.nl/sites/default/files/Nederland%20Maakt%20-%20Brochure%20VNO-NCW%20en%20MKB-Nederland.pdf.