Management Desk
KNOWLEDGE BRIDGE: all hope to find it, few could imagine it, but we built it....In pursuit of design excellence and effectiveness and as a tribute to Engineering in Bharat, IKSC Knowledge Bridge was set up in May2010 and is Nonprofit making organization with mission "Bharat 2025", to help Bharat evolve as engineering power house. To contribute in brand building like "Designed In Bharat", "Engineered in Bharat", and "Manufactured in Bharat".
The idea of Knowledge Bridge is to complement and enhance the theoretical engineering foundations that the students have developed in the traditional curricula, with more practical knowledge - with the help of training materials that infuse real-world concepts, standards, case studies and projects, imbibing the 'practice' of product development. Our mission is to invoke engineering passion in young students for Product Design/Engineering, and thereby develop a basis for real skills and competencies needed by the industry.
We at Knowledge Bridge believe that there exist specific gaps between the demands of the workplaces engaged in development of complex new products (such as automotive, aircraft, machinery) AND the available skills of young engineers stepping into the industrial world. Knowledge Bridge plans to accomplish these goals by helping students through interactive training materials developed with the help of experienced industry professionals (Subject Matter Experts) from across the Globe.
We explore information, transform into Knowledge that becomes impart-able Skills that help individuals shape their Career
What is Industry 4.0?
Industry 4.0 is a blend of advanced analytics, Big Data, Robotics & Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT) and Process Digitisation across the business value chain.
Industry 4.0, which started off as a brainchild of Germany, is being adopted by countries around the world. Developed nations like USA, France and Japan have already taken the first step in this direction by launching nation-wide programs.
According to an analysis by McKinsey, if Indian companies adopt Industry 4.0 across functions such as manufacturing, supply chain, logistics and procurement, they can enhance their operating profits by 40% at less than 10% of the planned capital expenditure.
In their journey to adopt Industry 4.0, each country is expected to encounter a number of challenges related to the skill level of their work force. The skills which are important today will cease to be so in the future and the work force will be expected to possess new skills in the domain of information technology, data analytics, etc. A higher percentage of the jobs will give importance to cognitive abilities and system skills over physical abilities while defining core work-related skill sets.
Industry 4.0 represents a paradigm shift from the previous era of rigid, efficiency-focused and manual manufacturing to a more dynamic, agile, and automated manufacturing. It marks a shift of focus from mass production to mass customization, enabled by flexible production and shorter lead times. Similarly, there will be a transition from large-scale factories specialized for a product to smart factories with high-technological
As per a survey conducted by Manpower Group, globally 38% , India (58%) of the employers face some kind of difficulty in filling the job vacancies.
Important qualifications & skills to have for Industry 4.0
1. Knowledge about ICT
> Basic Information Technology knowledge
> Ability to use and interact with computers and smart machines like robots, tablets etc.
> Understanding machine to machine communication, IT security & data protection
2. Technical know-how
> Inter-disciplinary & generic knowledge about technology
> Specialized knowledge about manufacturing activities and processes in place
> Technical know-how of machines to carry out maintenance related activities
3. Ability to work with data
> Ability to process and analyze data and information obtained from machines
> Understanding visual data output & making decisions
> Basic statistical knowledge
4. Personal Skills
> Adaptability & ability to change
> Decision making
> Working in team
> Communication skills
> Mindset change for lifelong learning
CHALLENGES FACED IN SKILL DEVELOPMENT BY BRICS NATIONS
India have realized the importance of skill development in achieving economic growth in the future and have taken various measures to bridge the skill gap.
- Demand supply mismatch To overcome this problem, companies have been running in-house training institutes / programs to impart the necessary skills, which drives up the cost.
- Access Lack of access to vocational education has also contributed to the skill gap that exists today.
- Lack of industrial training: Have less exposure to vocational education at primary and lower secondary level and apprenticeships are not included as a mandatory part of educational programs. As a result, students lack the practical exposure which helps in quick adaption of technical skills and graduate without much workplace learning. This is due to the weak industry linkages.
- Quality: India also face challenges in terms of having inflexible and outdated curricula, shortage of qualified teachers and trainers and unavailability of proper, up-to-date infrastructure (building and equipment).
- National Qualification Framework (NQF): NQF organizes qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude. Each of these levels is defined in terms of learning outcomes which a learner must possess regardless of whether are obtained through formal, non-formal or informal training. As a result, any person possessing the skill sets as defined by these levels will be eligible to hold the certificates for the same. The NQF makes the progression pathways transparent so that institute, students and employers are clear about what the certificate holder can and cannot do. It plays an important role in facilitating workers' mobility from vocational education to general education. Lack of standards results in non-uniformity in the outcomes associated with different qualifications across institutions. Russia, India, China and South Africa have a National Qualification Framework. However, every country is at a different stage. Brazil currently lacks a national qualification framework and is dependent on the generic certification system, in which a student is provided a certificate after completion of a vocational course, which cannot be related to a qualification level.
- Lack of resources: Skill development efforts are hindered by funds availability. Government of all the BRICS nations allocate a significant percentage of public expenditure on vocational education and skill development. In some countries, even private sector contributes to a certain extent in raising funds. However, these funds remain insufficient to bridge the skills gap that exist in these BRICS nations.
- Negative image at secondary level: In some countries, Vocational Education and Training (VET) is considered by the public and parents as a career choice for students who are less qualified academically. The VET track suffers from a negative image, i.e., VET is for school drop-outs rather than a way of training workers. Such a negative image exists predominantly because the students are admitted to general or VET courses based on examination results or grades at the end of the lower secondary education. The problem of negative image of vocation courses is much more severe at secondary level. At tertiary level, technical education is one of the most sought after courses across the BRICS nations.
How is India preparing for Industry 4.0?
- Government of India plans to increase manufacturing sector GDP to 25% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2025.
- The heavy industries and public enterprises ministry are facilitating the establishment of four centres in the country to help SMEs implement Industry 4.0
- India's first Smart factory is being set up at Bengaluru. This Smart Factory is being developed at the IISc Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing (CPDM) with funding from The Boeing Company.
- Andhra Pradesh government aims to turn the state into an Internet of Things (IoT) hub by 2020.
