Digital technologies "at work", and how they affect workers' skills

Abstract

The “fourth industrial revolution” revolves around diffusion and application of new digital technologies in manufacturing and services. This article is about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large supply chain leaders and education organizations in Italy are coping with the technological change 4.0, whose effects are so widespread, pervasive and diverse that they require rethinking both the role of technology within companies and how to approach skills improvement initiatives. Through the results of a series of focus groups, framed within broader interdisciplinary research, the article explores two specific themes: 1. the interest, understanding, adoption and use of the technologies associated with the Industry 4.0 paradigm; and 2. the impact of technological change on the approach to worker training, especially with regard to the dichotomy between hard and soft skills.