Cernobbio, a city of some 7,000 people, nestles in the corner of Lake Como, just north of the town of Como itself and right on the Italian-Swiss border. As you can imagine, it is a very picturesque city on the banks of a lake often referred to as one of the most beautiful in the world.

Cernobbio is also the starting point of La Via dei Monti Lariani, a walking trail that stretches over 125 km, ending in Sorico at the northern point of Lake Como.

La Via dei Monti Lariani is based on old mule and military tracks and rises hundreds of meters above the lake. A successful journey from Cernobbio to Sorico needs planning and preparation. It’s not a one day excursion. Walkers need to think about the weather, their clothing and footwear not to mention refreshment stops and overnight accommodation. However, the views available along the way and the clear, crisp Alpine air make the journey very rewarding.

I had the pleasure to be in Cernobbio last month, not to walk La Vie dei Monti Lariani but to attend the World Manufacturing Forum 2018. This event gathered over 700 people from industry, governments and academia to discuss the pressing challenges of the manufacturing industry. Over the 2 days of the conference, we ended up discussing issues like innovations by 2030, manufacturing’s value-adds for society, and the challenges of global cooperation.

One of the themes that stood out to me was skills and education. 

The industry is currently confronted with an aging workforce with a large part of today’s employees due to retire in the next 10-20 years. This means that a huge amount of expertise will leave the industry.

At the same time it is obvious that for today’s entrants to the job market, manufacturing and engineering continue to lack the appeal of other careers.

So manufacturing faces the imbalance of losing critical skills and knowledge on one side and not being in a position to replace them at the other.

The next challenge is that of technology and the impact it is having on the workplace. IBM CEO Ginni Rometty has spoken of the rise of new collar jobs and the prospect that many of today’s children will work in jobs that have yet to be invented.

Step back and just think about that for a minute. Jobs that have yet to be invented. What does this mean for us as employers? What does it mean for those in charge of our education infrastructure? If you don’t know the jobs to be done by future generations how can you begin to equip them for those jobs?

For a start, the manufacturing workers of tomorrow will need to be comfortable with data and comfortable with technology. 

And manufacturing jobs will go beyond just digital skills. An advanced workforce means embracing new ways of working, such as Agile, Design Thinking, rapid prototyping, collaboration with startups, research centers, and universities. 

The role of educator should not be one abdicated by industry to government. Companies must make a concerted effort to enable existing talent to operate in the emerging digital world. For instance, it’s possible to use AI to capture knowledge from an experienced generation and easily provide that information to less experienced, incoming generations. 

The technology is here. What's uncertain is which leaders will implement the inconvenient but necessary change to structures, some of which have been the same for centuries. 

I was fascinated to see a recent interview between Ginni Rometty and Teresa May, the British Prime Minister, during which they discussed many of these issues and roles that industry and government needed to play. Prime Minister May summed it up in 3 points:

Just like La Vie dei Monti Lariani, the manufacturing industry is facing a long and difficult path. There will be many challenges ahead and the path will be steep and difficult. But we cannot be afraid of these challenges. Preparation is key and partnerships are essential. Governments and industry must work together to create the environment and develop the skills we will all need in the future.

The view will be worth the effort.

Learn more about IBM’s influence on the next generation of manufacturers. Read the post about IBM and USC