This note has been prepared within the UNU-WIDER project SOUTHMOD -simulating tax and benefit policies for development Phase 2, which is part of the Domestic Revenue Mobilization programme. The programme is financed through specific contributions by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
An Analysis of Education and Training Programs in Advanced ManufacturingUsing Robotics T he push to automate manufacturing processes is nothing new, from the advent of assembly lines in the early 20th century to today's autonomous robots that can work together with a single human supervisor. Autonomous robots are just one of many technologies in advanced manufacturing (AM), with AM representing "a family of activities that (a) depend on the use and coordination of information, automation, computation, software, sensing, and networking, and/or (b) make use of cutting edge materials and emerging capabilities enabled by the physical and biological sciences" (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2011, p. ii). However, advanced industrial robots are a key and growing AM technology. In 2015, $12 billion worth of industrial robots were sold in the United States. This rate is projected to increase to $22 billion by 2025 (International Federation of Robotics, 2016). Although robotic automation likely offers manufacturers opportunities to enhance production and remain competitive, many stakeholders are concerned about how a surge in robotic capabilities will affect the human workforce in manufacturing. Will there be room for both humans and robots in new forms of manufacturing? And what skills will humans need to keep pace with anticipated rapid advancements in AM technology?
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