Product design and manufacturing (PD&M) organizations face mounting challenges in delivering effective workforce training. Technical software updates often outpace learning capacity, and many firms are experiencing widening gaps between available skills and skills needed to meet production demands. To fill these gaps, firms are seeking new, agile ways to provide training.
Image source Eagle Point.
As an assessment of PD&M industry trends in technology training, Cadalyst conducted extensive research in cooperation with Eagle Point Software, surveying decision makers across four key technology personas: Product Design & Engineering Lead; HR Lead Officer (in Manufacturing); Manufacturing IT Leader; and Product Design Engineer. Cadalyst used a combination of online surveys and its proprietary TwintelligenceTM methodology, an AI-based analysis tool, for this detailed research. Decision makers answered 18 structured questions spanning topics such as return on investment (ROI) proof, learning-format preference, budget dynamics, integration concerns, and automation readiness.
Based on Cadalyst’s comprehensive research across key manufacturing roles, four key themes emerged:
• Skills gaps are widening in technical areas such as automation
and artificial intelligence (AI).
• Firms are seeking more modern, role-based learning.
• Time and relevance barriers prevent learner engagement.
• Firms need a demonstrable return on investment (ROI) to fund
future training.
Widening Skills Gap
When asked whether skills gaps have widened or narrowed in the last year, over 55% of PD&M leaders said gaps have either slightly or significantly widened. Elaborating on this topic, one senior mechanical engineer said: “CAD updates outrun our ability to learn the new automation features.”
Regarding the type of skills most in demand, technical skills ranked highest. While workforce retirements outpace reskilling capacity, approximately 38% of Product Design Engineers ranked advanced technical skills as the highest priority, as did 25% of Manufacturing IT Leaders and 24% of HR Lead Officers. Digital literacy and tech adoption were also cited by at least 25% of all PD&M leaders. Manufacturing IT Leaders also identified cybersecurity and operational technology (OT) network skills as high-demand skills, while HR Lead Officers favored leadership and management skills.
Modern, Role-Based Learning
PLM leaders indicated a strong preference for modern, integrated learning platforms, particularly those with a technical emphasis. Approximately 45% of Manufacturing IT Leaders and 32% of Product Design/Engineering Leads said a modern, integrated type of platform would help their organization improve its learning and development efforts. Industry-specific, CAD-centric content was cited by 40% of Product Design Engineers and 25% of Product Design/Engineering Leads.
The importance of technical content was emphasized by a director of engineering at an industrial machinery company, who said: “Generative-design and simulation talent is gold; without it, our NPI [new product introduction] timeline slips by weeks.”
Technical training should be integrated with PD&M software platforms, based on survey responses. Image source: Eagle Point.
The value of integrated platforms — learning modules that launch inside existing software — was reinforced by responses to learning platform features. With the growth of hybrid work arrangements, rapid software releases, and expectations of on-demand learning experiences and single-sign–on convenience, over 30% of PD&M leaders cited integration with CAD/PLM and existing software as a key feature. Detailed analytics and personalized learning paths also ranked high. In addition to personalized, integrated training, PD&M leaders want to measure and monitor training effectiveness and coverage.
One Manufacturing IT Leader, a Vice President of IT Security & Operations for an industrial equipment company, said integration was an absolute necessity: “If it doesn’t integrate with our SSO [single sign-on] and spit out granular analytics, it’s a non-starter.”
A Product Design Engineer in the aerospace industry noted the importance of integration and personalized learning: “Personalized learning paths that surface exactly when I hit a new CAD feature — that’s the dream.”
Time and Relevance Barriers
PD&M organizations face ongoing challenges with engaging employees in continuous learning. Survey results revealed shop-floor and engineering schedule conflicts, with engagement plummeting when content feels outdated or generic. More than 30% of PD&M leaders cited time constraints as a barrier in engaging employees. In some cases, company key performance indicators (KPIs) penalize downtime. Software update schedules that outpace static courseware also present barriers to training.
Eagle Point’s Pinnacle Series allows you to review how to complete an action or learn a tool on the fly from within your design program. Image source: Eagle Point.
Regarding training platforms, the trend toward micro-learning was further evidenced by an evaluation of digital learning percentage at PD&M organizations. A majority of respondents cited digital training as the primary means of workforce training, meaning at least 50% of training is conducted digitally. Roughly 10% of respondents said less than 25% of training was digital, indicating a small portion of firms rely on in-person learning as the primary means of workforce training.
ROI-Driven Training Investments
Along with all the technical and logistic challenges firms face in training employees, financial factors often drive training investments. Research indicates that budget constraints and demonstrable ROI are the primary obstacles in funding learning and development. More than 30% of PD&M leaders flagged budget constraints and 25% flagged ROI proof as obstacles to training investments.
Based on comments from respondents, finance-driven stakeholders often block larger L&D investments unless prompt payback and measurable productivity or retention gains can be demonstrated. Contributing to these obstacle are inflationary cost pressures, tight capital-expenditure cycles, and post-pandemic margin scrutiny. One VP of IT and OT Convergence said: “Without a clear TCO and security blueprint, finance flags every new platform as a risk line item.”
In reviewing training budgets, respondents have seen little growth. Approximately 70% of respondents saw either a slight increase or no change over the past year. Confirming the need to prove benefits of training, one HR VP said: “After proving a two-point retention bump, we secured a 12% budget increase for FY-25.”
Future Trends
Looking ahead, PD&M leaders see developing technologies such as AI, automation, and virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) impacting the industry, and potentially becoming focal points of training efforts. Roughly 30% of respondents identified each of these areas as high-impact technologies.
While AI is still in relative infancy, firms are seeing value and future game-changing possibilities with the technology. A VP of IT & OT Systems at an industrial equipment company: “AI-driven analytics that pinpoint skill gaps will finally give us a data story the CFO believes.”
Similarly, VR/AR is still viewed as a relatively new technology, but PD&M leaders are showing interest in immersive, plant-safe VR/AR modules, particularly for complex assembly or robotics training. According to a Product Design Engineer in a high-tech device company: “AR walk-throughs of complex assemblies could save days of rework compared to PDF manuals.”
To accommodate the shift in manufacturing technology training, PD&M organizations should partner with an experienced training organization. By working with a partner such as Eagle Point Software, firms can develop customized, personalized training to address the challenges identified by the survey and other challenges unique to the PD&M industry.
Eagle Point’s Pinnacle Series is a comprehensive applied learning solution specifically designed for the AEC, product design, and manufacturing industries. As a customizable training platform, it can help firms and employees efficiently learn new skills and sharpen current skills — improving efficiency and productivity, while reducing rework and employee turnover. With a comprehensive, agile training program, PD&M organizations will be better equipped to harness the power of new technologies and improve project outcomes.
This article was sponsored by Eagle Point.
###
Searching for more information about Product Design & Manufacturing?
Click here!
Share This Post