Development of Competencies for Employability Digital Competencies

Abstract

The term called Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is an umbrella-concept, which encompasses several elements from the latest technological trends influencing the human workforce and education. But the questions arise: Does the industry 4.0 concept itself change workforce competencies? What is the impact on education? Thus far, only the technological aspects have been investigated thoroughly, despite their well-known, and strong, influence on the economy and society. This study addresses the interactions, dependencies, and correlations between certain areas of social existence, as expectations change regarding human competencies and their continued role in economic sectors and technological innovation. The role of the human factor within society is unquestionable as we start to understand why industrial revolutions have appeared. Fundamentally, it is always human concerns that stimulate change and it is human/social aspects that are heavily influenced by the same changes. As the I4.0 concept has an influence not just on how products are manufactured but also on the practices of consuming “products”, governments, research institutes, education systems, and organisations all have a crucial role to play in managing the massive wave of change. We believe that the concept should be more deeply analysed and understood, as it might give rise to a new complex terminology for techno-social change, which eventually would feed into achieving economic goals more efficiently.

Keywords

• industry 4.0
• digital competency
• education and economic development