The situation in the mechanical and plant engineering sector is currently anything but rosy: according to the VDMA's half-year report, the industry recorded a year-on-year decline in orders of 9% in real terms in the first six months of the current year. For the year as a whole, the association is currently forecasting a 2% drop in production.

The stuttering of the economic engine is not only causing concern in the boardrooms, but also among employees: according to the 'Job Study 2019' by Ernst & Young (EY ), almost 50% of employees in mechanical and plant engineering no longer consider their job to be secure - more than in any other industry! 21% are looking for a new employer. In addition to the economic weakness, one reason for this is likely to be the change in the job market: "Technologization is changing the roles of employees - many tasks are even disappearing completely. As a result, employees are increasingly worried about their jobs again and are more willing to change employers," says Markus Heinen, Head of HR Consulting Services at EY.

While on the one hand the fear of a possible job loss is rampant, there is a shortage of applicants elsewhere: according to the Federal Employment Agency, 34,000 training positions in technical professions are unfilled at the start of the new training year, especially in mechanical engineering. This contrasts with 21,000 unplaced applicants - which ultimately results in a mathematical gap of 13,000. "If this trend continues, the shortage of skilled workers will develop into a structural problem and a permanent brake on growth, regardless of economic fluctuations such as those we are currently observing," warns Jörg Friedrich, Head of the VDMA's Training Department, in light of these figures.

Entrepreneurs therefore face an enormous challenge in two respects: on the one hand, they must manage to further increase the attractiveness of vocational training. The VDMA sees the modernization of job profiles and the adaptation of teaching methods and content to digitalization as an important building block for this. On the other hand, they must also succeed in retaining those with many years of experience in difficult economic times and taking them with them on the Industry 4.0 journey. Because one thing is clear: the next upturn is sure to come - and then the whining about the shortage of skilled workers will once again be unmistakable everywhere. Perhaps now - when things are a little quieter in the production halls - is an ideal time to tackle the absolutely necessary further training in terms of digital transformation with vigor - across all age groups!