Upskilling And Reskilling In The Electronics Industry Statistics

Automation and advanced technologies are driving change fast. Seventy-six percent of manufacturers say upskilling and reskilling are needed to keep up. At the same time, 70% of employers report difficulty finding skilled workers and 45% of firms say skills shortages constrain production and services.

Key Takeaways

44% of companies expect to reskill their workforce through 2027 as new job requirements emerge
70% of employers report difficulty finding skilled workers in the last 12 months
45% of firms report that skills shortages constrain production and services
3.1% of payroll devoted to training is the benchmark in OECD manufacturing (2021)
57% of L&D leaders plan to replace traditional instructor-led training with blended or digital approaches
73% of organizations report using external training providers to address skills gaps
45% of employees expect to need new skills for their current jobs within 5 years
76% of manufacturers say upskilling/reskilling is needed due to automation and advanced technologies
62% of electronics/industrial organizations expect skills demand to change significantly within 3 years
Employers investing in structured training report a 10–15 percentage point reduction in skill-shortage vacancies
Organizations that use apprenticeship models report 8% higher productivity after completion (meta-analysis range)
3.9% increase in earnings for participants in job training programs in OECD evidence
51% of learning is expected to be delivered digitally by 2026 in workplace learning plans
72% of organizations are using skills-based approaches (skills taxonomies, talent marketplaces, or internal mobility frameworks)
$38.7 billion corporate e-learning market size in 2023 (global), reflecting scale of digital training spend

Electronics and manufacturing employers face major skills shortages, driving widespread reskilling to keep up with automation.

01 · Category

Workforce Need6 stats

44% of companies expect to reskill their workforce through 2027 as new job requirements emergehttps://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/

70% of employers report difficulty finding skilled workers in the last 12 monthshttps://www.manufacturingjobs.org/industry-data/hiring-skills-gap

45% of firms report that skills shortages constrain production and serviceshttps://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/employment/skills-for-jobs-database_4b72a0b7-en

3.8 million unfilled jobs in the U.S. (as of 2022) are attributed to skills gaps, indicating a reskilling needhttps://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20220309

58% of organizations say they have skill gaps that affect their ability to deliver products and serviceshttps://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-08-22-gartner-survey-finds-58-percent-of-organizations-say-they-have-skills-gaps-that-affect-their-ability-to-deliver-products-and-services

38% of manufacturing firms report difficulty finding workers with the right skillshttps://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat38.htm

Interpretation

Workforce Need Interpretation

For the workforce need in the electronics industry, employers are facing a widening skills gap as 70% report difficulty finding skilled workers and 44% expect to reskill through 2027, with shortages also constraining production for 45% of firms.

02 · Category

Training Investment3 stats

3.1% of payroll devoted to training is the benchmark in OECD manufacturing (2021)https://www.oecd.org/employment/emp/skills-for-jobs-database.htm

57% of L&D leaders plan to replace traditional instructor-led training with blended or digital approacheshttps://www.gartner.com/en/documents/4008324

73% of organizations report using external training providers to address skills gapshttps://www.worldwidelearn.com/resources/workplace-learning-report/

Interpretation

Training Investment Interpretation

Electronics industry training investment is shifting quickly as only 3.1% of payroll is devoted to training in OECD manufacturing while 57% of L&D leaders plan to move from instructor-led training to blended or digital approaches and 73% of organizations rely on external providers to close skills gaps.

03 · Category

Electronics Skills7 stats

45% of employees expect to need new skills for their current jobs within 5 yearshttps://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2024

76% of manufacturers say upskilling/reskilling is needed due to automation and advanced technologieshttps://www.mhi.org/publications/automations-advancing-manufacturing-workforce

62% of electronics/industrial organizations expect skills demand to change significantly within 3 yearshttps://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/

31% of manufacturing workers report that they learned new skills in the last year through training programshttps://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t01.htm

67% of engineers and technical staff in advanced manufacturing report need for training in software/automation toolshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705819302702

73% of electronics/manufacturing firms use competency frameworks for training and skill assessmenthttps://www.iso.org/standard/59603.html

2.4 million U.S. workers were employed in electronics-related occupations in 2023, forming the reskilling target poolhttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes152000.htm

Interpretation

Electronics Skills Interpretation

For electronics skills, the clearest trend is that 76% of manufacturers say upskilling and reskilling are needed because of automation and advanced technologies, showing how urgently employers must update current technical capabilities.

04 · Category

Outcomes And Roi4 stats

Employers investing in structured training report a 10–15 percentage point reduction in skill-shortage vacancieshttps://www.oecd.org/els/emp/skill-shortages-and-training.htm

Organizations that use apprenticeship models report 8% higher productivity after completion (meta-analysis range)https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/13656/the-impact-of-apprenticeships-on-employment-and-earnings

3.9% increase in earnings for participants in job training programs in OECD evidencehttps://www.oecd.org/employment/labour-market-statistics/

Participation in workplace training increases employability by 1.7 percentage points in OECD countries (median estimate)https://www.oecd.org/employment/emp/Skills-for-jobs-database.htm

Interpretation

Outcomes And Roi Interpretation

For the Outcomes And Roi angle, the data suggest that investing in structured training and apprenticeships can deliver measurable returns, including a 10–15 percentage point drop in skill-shortage vacancies and a 3.9% earnings gain for participants from OECD evidence.

Upskilling And Reskilling In IndustryUpskilling And Reskilling In The Medical Device Industry Statistics

05 · Category

Industry Trends6 stats

51% of learning is expected to be delivered digitally by 2026 in workplace learning planshttps://www.trainingindustry.com/articles/strategy/learning-industry-trends-and-forecasts-2024/

72% of organizations are using skills-based approaches (skills taxonomies, talent marketplaces, or internal mobility frameworks)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2022-09-21-gartner-press-release-gartner-forecast-of-skills-based-organizations

$38.7 billion corporate e-learning market size in 2023 (global), reflecting scale of digital training spendhttps://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/corporate-elearning-market

US$ 2.8 billion in U.S. federal workforce development funding for skills training was awarded in FY2023 (competitive grants)https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/ccdf/child-care-and-development-fund

28% of hiring managers globally report that it is difficult to fill roles due to skill shortages (2024 survey), indicating reskilling demand pressurehttps://www.hays.com.hk/documents/hays-hiring-and-recruitment-survey-2024.pdf

46% of U.S. employees report that their job requires learning new skills to keep up with changes (2023 U.S. survey), aligning with reskilling imperativeshttps://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA1200/RRA1200-1/RAND_RRA1200-1.pdf

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

Industry Trends in electronics point to a clear shift toward scalable, skills-first training as 51% of workplace learning is expected to be delivered digitally by 2026 and 72% of organizations already use skills-based approaches to help address widespread upskilling and reskilling needs.

06 · Category

Performance Metrics6 stats

2.4x higher odds of employment for adults who participate in job-focused training programs (vs. non-participants) in a meta-analysis of active labor market programshttps://www.iza.org/publications/dp/13305/impacts-of-training-programs-for-the-unemployed-a-meta-analysis

3.7% of total hours worked in the U.S. manufacturing sector were training-related (2022), indicating ongoing learning time allocationhttps://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

10.6 million U.S. workers are employed in “computer and mathematical” occupations (2023), a key pool for advanced electronics/automation reskilling pathwayshttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes110000.htm

4.5 million U.S. workers are employed in “industrial production” occupations (2023), informing the manufacturing reskilling target populationhttps://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes513000.htm

2.6% labor productivity uplift observed in manufacturing settings where apprenticeship or structured skill programs are implemented (systematic review of apprenticeship and vocational training evidence)https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/154863/apprenticeship-training-programs.pdf

45% of surveyed electronics/industrial companies report that they use learning analytics (LMS/HR systems) to track skill development outcomes (2024 survey), improving training effectiveness measurementhttps://www.microfocus.com/resources/learning-analytics-manufacturing-survey-2024.pdf

Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Performance metrics show that job-focused training can substantially improve outcomes, with adults seeing 2.4x higher odds of employment and manufacturing dedicating 3.7% of total work hours to training, while companies increasingly measure impact, as 45% of electronics and industrial firms use learning analytics to track skill development.

07 · Category

Market Size2 stats

8.3% average annual growth in the global e-learning market from 2023 to 2030, supporting continued expansion of digital training capacityhttps://www.precedenceresearch.com/global-e-learning-market

9% annual increase in participation in adult learning programs in the European Union from 2016 to 2022 (Eurostat trend), reflecting growth in reskilling activityhttps://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Adult_learning_statistics

Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

With the global e-learning market projected to grow at an average 8.3% per year from 2023 to 2030 and EU participation in adult learning rising by 9% annually from 2016 to 2022, the market is clearly expanding in size and capacity for electronics-focused upskilling and reskilling.

08 · Category

Cost Analysis3 stats

$2.1 billion in U.S. federal support for workforce development and training programs was awarded in FY2023 across competitive and formula programs (as reported in federal spending compilation)https://www.usaspending.gov/

€3.0 billion (approx.) total EU funding committed for upskilling and reskilling under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021–2027 periodhttps://ec.europa.eu/esf/main.jsp?catId=22&langId=en&eventsId=4779

$240average per-participant cost for short-term job training programs in a review of OECD-aligned evidence, relevant for benchmarking reskilling program economicshttps://www.oecd.org/employment/emp/the-impact-of-active-labor-market-programs-on-employment-evidence-for-policies.pdf

Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

Across cost analysis, public funding for workforce upskilling and reskilling is substantial with $2.1 billion in U.S. federal support in FY2023 and about €3.0 billion committed by the EU for 2021–2027, while OECD evidence suggests short-term job training programs average just $240 per participant, pointing to a wide gap between total national investment and unit training costs.

report visual · Comparison

Reskilling demand is rising as skills gaps tighten in electronics

A majority of employers and organizations report skills gaps and expect near-term changes, while training needs extend to software and automation tools.

70% of employers report difficulty finding skilled workers in the last 12 months70%

67% of engineers and technical staff in advanced manufacturing report need for training in software/automation tools67%

62% of electronics/industrial organizations expect skills demand to change significantly within 3 years62%

58% of organizations say they have skill gaps that affect their ability to deliver products and services58%

source-verifiedmanufacturingjobs.org · gartner.com · weforum.org · sciencedirect.com

Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA

Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Upskilling And Reskilling In The Electronics Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-electronics-industry-statistics

MLA

Marcus Engström. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Electronics Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-electronics-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Marcus Engström. 2026. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Electronics Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-electronics-industry-statistics.