GITNUXREPORT 2025

Upskilling And Reskilling In The Industrial Industry Statistics

Industrial upskilling fosters growth, enhances safety, reduces costs, and boosts productivity.

Jannik Lindner

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

Our Commitment to Accuracy

Rigorous fact-checking • Reputable sources • Regular updatesLearn more

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

The global industrial industry is expected to spend over $300 billion on workforce training and development by 2025

Statistic 2

Reskilling initiatives increased productivity by an average of 20% in industrial plants that adopted them

Statistic 3

54% of industrial executives consider upskilling a top priority to offset automation-related job reductions

Statistic 4

70% of factory workers need retraining to operate new machinery introduced through Industry 4.0 initiatives

Statistic 5

The adoption of AR and VR for industrial training is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 40% from 2023 to 2028

Statistic 6

80% of industrial organizations plan to invest in AI-based training tools by 2025

Statistic 7

The average time to reskill an industrial worker is reduced by 30% with the adoption of digital learning platforms

Statistic 8

45% of industrial employees have not received formal training in the past year

Statistic 9

85% of industrial companies feel that investing in employee training leads to higher retention rates

Statistic 10

AI-powered predictive maintenance training improved workers’ skills by 50% in industrial contexts

Statistic 11

55% of industrial firms are using virtual labs and simulations to enhance technical training

Statistic 12

The average cost of implementing reskilling programs in manufacturing is approximately $1,500 per employee

Statistic 13

67% of enterprises believe that lifelong learning is essential to address skill obsolescence in the industry

Statistic 14

Reskilling programs in the industrial industry have a 65% completion rate due to targeted mentoring and support

Statistic 15

44% of industrial firms are planning to increase their digital training budgets by over 30% in next year

Statistic 16

62% of industrial companies have adopted micro-credentials as part of their upskilling initiatives

Statistic 17

48% of industrial workers express a need for more flexible learning options such as online courses and modular training

Statistic 18

Implementation of digital twin technology in training reduces onboarding time by 40%

Statistic 19

80% of industrial training programs are integrating safety protocols into their core training modules

Statistic 20

The adoption rate of e-learning platforms in industrial companies increased by 70% during the COVID-19 pandemic

Statistic 21

29% of industrial companies still rely heavily on traditional classroom training despite digital options

Statistic 22

Companies that have invested in upskilling report a 15% higher operational efficiency

Statistic 23

The global market for industrial training platforms is projected to reach $12 billion by 2028, expanding at a CAGR of 18%

Statistic 24

76% of manufacturing managers believe that continuous reskilling can help mitigate labor shortages

Statistic 25

59% of industrial training programs now incorporate AI-driven personalized learning pathways

Statistic 26

70% of industrial training budgets are allocated towards digital and technical skill development in 2023

Statistic 27

77% of industrial executives agree that upskilling boosts safety performance and compliance

Statistic 28

Companies that invest in upskilling report a 20% reduction in workplace accidents

Statistic 29

69% of industrial companies see digital upskilling as essential for future growth

Statistic 30

81% of industrial organizations plan to leverage virtual reality for remote training by 2025

Statistic 31

61% of industrial companies offer at least one form of digital certification post-training

Statistic 32

The number of industrial apprenticeships increased by 15% in 2022 due to upskilling efforts

Statistic 33

58% of industrial firms aim to implement AI or machine learning in their training processes within the next two years

Statistic 34

72% of manufacturing companies believe continuous retraining helps retain top talent

Statistic 35

66% of industrial organizations reported that upskilling initiatives positively impact overall productivity

Statistic 36

The industrial sector’s upskilling budget increased by 25% in 2023 compared to 2022

Statistic 37

The use of blockchain technology in industrial training records is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35% through 2030

Statistic 38

The use of adaptive learning technology in industrial training programs increased by 34% in 2023

Statistic 39

78% of industrial companies believe that upskilling is critical to their digital transformation efforts

Statistic 40

65% of manufacturing companies reported a skills gap in their workforce

Statistic 41

Only 35% of manufacturing workers feel confident in their digital skills

Statistic 42

60% of manufacturing companies reported that their employees needed more tech-related skills to stay competitive

Statistic 43

73% of industrial workers who received digital skills training report feeling more engaged at work

Statistic 44

68% of industrial employees have indicated interest in learning new digital tools and software

Statistic 45

50% of industrial companies see automation as a key driver for requiring enhanced employee skills

Statistic 46

According to surveys, 42% of manufacturing workers feel inadequately prepared for Industry 4.0 initiatives

Statistic 47

84% of industrial employees are interested in learning new skills to adapt to automation

Slide 1 of 47
Share:FacebookLinkedIn
Sources

Our Reports have been cited by:

Trust Badges - Publications that have cited our reports

Key Highlights

  • 78% of industrial companies believe that upskilling is critical to their digital transformation efforts
  • The global industrial industry is expected to spend over $300 billion on workforce training and development by 2025
  • 65% of manufacturing companies reported a skills gap in their workforce
  • Reskilling initiatives increased productivity by an average of 20% in industrial plants that adopted them
  • 54% of industrial executives consider upskilling a top priority to offset automation-related job reductions
  • 70% of factory workers need retraining to operate new machinery introduced through Industry 4.0 initiatives
  • Only 35% of manufacturing workers feel confident in their digital skills
  • The adoption of AR and VR for industrial training is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 40% from 2023 to 2028
  • 80% of industrial organizations plan to invest in AI-based training tools by 2025
  • The average time to reskill an industrial worker is reduced by 30% with the adoption of digital learning platforms
  • 60% of manufacturing companies reported that their employees needed more tech-related skills to stay competitive
  • The industrial sector’s upskilling budget increased by 25% in 2023 compared to 2022
  • 45% of industrial employees have not received formal training in the past year

In an era where 78% of industrial companies see upskilling as vital to their digital transformation and investments near $300 billion globally, the industry is rapidly transforming through innovative training strategies to bridge skills gaps, boost productivity, and stay competitive amidst automation and Industry 4.0 advancements.

Employee Training and Reskilling Initiatives

  • The global industrial industry is expected to spend over $300 billion on workforce training and development by 2025
  • Reskilling initiatives increased productivity by an average of 20% in industrial plants that adopted them
  • 54% of industrial executives consider upskilling a top priority to offset automation-related job reductions
  • 70% of factory workers need retraining to operate new machinery introduced through Industry 4.0 initiatives
  • The adoption of AR and VR for industrial training is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 40% from 2023 to 2028
  • 80% of industrial organizations plan to invest in AI-based training tools by 2025
  • The average time to reskill an industrial worker is reduced by 30% with the adoption of digital learning platforms
  • 45% of industrial employees have not received formal training in the past year
  • 85% of industrial companies feel that investing in employee training leads to higher retention rates
  • AI-powered predictive maintenance training improved workers’ skills by 50% in industrial contexts
  • 55% of industrial firms are using virtual labs and simulations to enhance technical training
  • The average cost of implementing reskilling programs in manufacturing is approximately $1,500 per employee
  • 67% of enterprises believe that lifelong learning is essential to address skill obsolescence in the industry
  • Reskilling programs in the industrial industry have a 65% completion rate due to targeted mentoring and support
  • 44% of industrial firms are planning to increase their digital training budgets by over 30% in next year
  • 62% of industrial companies have adopted micro-credentials as part of their upskilling initiatives
  • 48% of industrial workers express a need for more flexible learning options such as online courses and modular training
  • Implementation of digital twin technology in training reduces onboarding time by 40%
  • 80% of industrial training programs are integrating safety protocols into their core training modules
  • The adoption rate of e-learning platforms in industrial companies increased by 70% during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 29% of industrial companies still rely heavily on traditional classroom training despite digital options
  • Companies that have invested in upskilling report a 15% higher operational efficiency
  • The global market for industrial training platforms is projected to reach $12 billion by 2028, expanding at a CAGR of 18%
  • 76% of manufacturing managers believe that continuous reskilling can help mitigate labor shortages
  • 59% of industrial training programs now incorporate AI-driven personalized learning pathways
  • 70% of industrial training budgets are allocated towards digital and technical skill development in 2023
  • 77% of industrial executives agree that upskilling boosts safety performance and compliance
  • Companies that invest in upskilling report a 20% reduction in workplace accidents
  • 69% of industrial companies see digital upskilling as essential for future growth
  • 81% of industrial organizations plan to leverage virtual reality for remote training by 2025
  • 61% of industrial companies offer at least one form of digital certification post-training
  • The number of industrial apprenticeships increased by 15% in 2022 due to upskilling efforts
  • 58% of industrial firms aim to implement AI or machine learning in their training processes within the next two years
  • 72% of manufacturing companies believe continuous retraining helps retain top talent
  • 66% of industrial organizations reported that upskilling initiatives positively impact overall productivity

Employee Training and Reskilling Initiatives Interpretation

As the industrial sector accelerates its digital transformation with over $300 billion in training investments by 2025, it becomes clear that the best way to future-proof factories is not just through automation, but by turning workers into lifelong learners equipped with AR, VR, and AI-driven skills—because in Industry 4.0, staying still is the real risk.

Investment and Budget Allocation

  • The industrial sector’s upskilling budget increased by 25% in 2023 compared to 2022

Investment and Budget Allocation Interpretation

With a 25% boost in 2023, the industrial sector's investment in upskilling signals a serious commitment to future-proofing its workforce amid rapid technological change.

Technology Adoption and Innovation

  • The use of blockchain technology in industrial training records is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35% through 2030
  • The use of adaptive learning technology in industrial training programs increased by 34% in 2023

Technology Adoption and Innovation Interpretation

As industrial training embraces the digital age with blockchain record-keeping soaring at 35% CAGR and adaptive learning up by 34%, it's clear that workers are not just gaining skills—they're gaining smarter, more secure pathways to the industries of tomorrow.

Workforce Skills and Confidence

  • 78% of industrial companies believe that upskilling is critical to their digital transformation efforts
  • 65% of manufacturing companies reported a skills gap in their workforce
  • Only 35% of manufacturing workers feel confident in their digital skills
  • 60% of manufacturing companies reported that their employees needed more tech-related skills to stay competitive
  • 73% of industrial workers who received digital skills training report feeling more engaged at work
  • 68% of industrial employees have indicated interest in learning new digital tools and software
  • 50% of industrial companies see automation as a key driver for requiring enhanced employee skills
  • According to surveys, 42% of manufacturing workers feel inadequately prepared for Industry 4.0 initiatives
  • 84% of industrial employees are interested in learning new skills to adapt to automation

Workforce Skills and Confidence Interpretation

With over half of manufacturing workers feeling unprepared for Industry 4.0 and a significant majority craving new skills, the industrial sector's path to digital transformation hinges on proactively bridging the skills gap—and doing so swiftly before automation renders current competencies obsolete.

Sources & References