Although two years on, the pandemic has presented great challenges that linger and remain with us, but at the same time it has also helped to put people more at the centre of the business agenda. Technology is a major driver of change, and application of automation, robotics and AI is likely to impact many jobs, and the skills people need. Skills which as of today might not be in their workforce.  

Organisations are struggling to plan for the maintenance workforce of the future. How do we mentor highly skilled and adaptable professionals who are ready to embrace emerging technologies?  

Participants told us they are struggling to recruit for a myriad of roles. This is compounded by a knowledge exodus from experienced professionals who are calling time on their careers.  

The strong sentiment is that we are unprepared and ill-equipped for the future.  

Attraction and Retention of Skills

Organisations must create a resilient and agile workforce by aligning training, development and education programs with the organisation’s strategic goals and workforce needs. The maintenance workforce of the future will need to be highly skilled, adaptable, and committed to continuous learning. They will need to have a strong understanding of emerging and existing technologies, data analytics, as well as being good communicators with strong problem-solving skills. This is a short-term and long-term aim. Many organisations talked about knowing what they must do.  

But the question is where they find the time and resources to tackle this incredibly complex issue while managing business as usual and taking critical assets offline. There is a genuine concern that the impact of the current skills shortages will cause major disruption in the coming years.  

“We have identified where we need to go to, what needs to be done, and even what skills may be required. But HOW to do this is the bottleneck because without taking our assets offline we do not have the time or resources.” - Maintenance and Reliability Manager, Water Utility

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Expectations and Engagement of the Next-Gen

The next generation of engineers and tradespeople entering the Maintenance and Reliability workforce bring new expectations and demands for learning, mentoring, and career progression. Unlike previous generations, younger professionals have rapid access to information and real-time communication, thanks to the prevalence of digital tools and platforms such as online training, video tutorials, membership platforms, and even virtual mentorship programs.

Once industrial organisations have managed to attract younger workers, the next step is to engage them so they can be successful. Many leaders report that early-career workers seem to lack technical or people skills that traditionally have been viewed as fundamental. While potentially valid, this often overlooks the skills younger workers have that many asset-intensive environments aren't yet utilising effectively.

For example, having grown up with instant access to digital answers, the Next-gen workforce is more likely than older workers to look first to self-help videos to solve problems. That habit can yield fast, accurate answers - if the solutions make sense for the plant or mine or site where they work. But the average Next-gen worker is likely to be somewhat less experienced with asking coworkers for advice in person.  

Maintenance and Reliability leaders will need to merge the digital and the analog in ways that give workers the skill development they need, while ensuring that they are building interpersonal relationships with experienced workers and supervisors who can help integrate them in the community. Otherwise, younger workers can become disengaged, resulting in higher rates of absenteeism and lower productivity.  

In McKinsey’s (US) 2024 Talent Trends Research Report, they found that three in five Next-gen workers in manufacturing are disengaged, which is comparable to the total number of disengaged workers of all ages outside of manufacturing. McKinsey estimates that this level of disengagement costs US manufacturers about $20 billion to $40 billion per year.

They also expect mentoring to be continuous and collaborative, seeking frequent feedback and personalised development plans to ensure they are on track with their career goals. Traditional models of long-term, slow-paced growth are giving way to more agile career paths where these professionals expect to see measurable progression in their skills and responsibilities within shorter timeframes.

In Australia, the statistics are clear – underlining the urgency for companies to adapt:

• a recent study by Engineers Australia (EA) revealed that nearly 40% of engineers in the country are under the age of 35.

• the same EA study found that more than 60% of engineering graduates prioritize career development and growth opportunities when choosing an employer.  

According to the Australian Industry Group shows, younger engineers and tradespeople are significantly more likely to leave their current roles if they feel their career progression is stalled, making effective mentoring and training critical for talent retention. Asset-intensive organisations that can meet these Nex-Gen expectations are best positioned to attract, retain, and empower the leaders of tomorrow.