Competences and resources necessary for the transformation to Industry 5.0 at the local level

1/20. You are mentoring young trainees of your company. You wish to prepare them for the company’s technological challenges. How do you shape their mindset?

Foster curiosity, creative thinking, problem solving and ethical responsibility Promote digital adaptability and teamwork Encourage them to master one fundamental technical skill Teach them to follow structured instructions

2/20. You want to support employee lifelong learning. What is your policy?

Offer optional online courses on specific topics. Offer occasional and optional formal learning opportunities Provide yearly training with fixed content Create a culture of learning with personalised support and tailored opportunities

3/20. A school asks how to prepare students for Industry 5.0 careers. What advice do you give?

Teach them machine maintenance Offer coding lessons only Blend tech training with communication and other soft skills training Develop curiosity, adaptability, and cross-disciplinary problem-solving skills

4/20. In your company in the automotive sector, you need to redesign job profiles for Industry 5.0. What is your process?

Trust employees to adapt on their own Develop flexible roles fostering personal development and focusing on human machine collaboration Update job descriptions without retraining work force Consult employees and offer role-specific retraining

5/20. An employee worries about being replaced by machines. What do you do?

Ignore their concerns Reassure them without real solutions Develop with your employees plans to restructure tasks and responsibilities, if needed, into new roles Provide reassurance and optional training

6/20. You’re developing a hiring policy for future skills. What’s your focus?

Technical proficiency above all else Prioritise digital fluency and adaptability Look for flexibility and train on the job Hire for creativity, ethical thinking, and collaboration with emerging technologies

7/20. You're guiding a workshop on the evolution toward Industry 5.0. What change do you emphasise?

Expanding AI to fully automate human decision-making Technology replacing all human tasks for higher efficiency Moving from tech-driven optimisation to human-centered, sustainable human-tech collaboration More sensors and connectivity in smart factories

8/20. Your SME is exploring smart factory models. What step do you take?

Invest in high-tech systems without assessing workforce readiness Adopt smart tools only where convenient Create a roadmap for smart systems that balance innovation, worker input, and sustainability Plan integration in stages, with team feedback

9/20. Your automotive components company has come under scrutiny from clients and regulators for lacking an environmental strategy. To stay competitive and attract future contracts, you must align operations with the sustainability goals of Industry 5.0. The management team agrees in principle but is unsure what steps to take and fears high implementation costs. You’ve been tasked with recommending the first actions. What do you propose?

Install solar panels on the factory roof and highlight them in marketing without changing operations. Start a “green week” internal campaign and reduce paper use in the office. Introduce AI-powered energy monitoring to reduce waste and pilot a circular materials program in one department. Create a sustainability plan that combines a) circular economy design, b) regular monitoring, and c) employee-led innovation labs focused on a culture of sustainability.

10/20. At your logistics company, many job profiles have changed due to automation and digitisation. However, training still focuses on static manuals and outdated software tutorials. Employees report feeling unprepared for their evolving roles, which now demand flexibility, systems thinking, and digital fluency. Leadership recognises the need for a new training strategy that reflects the principles of Industry 5.0. How do you proceed?

Implement modular training that combines hands-on sessions with reskilling in AI, communication, and systems thinking, tailored to employee roles. Digitise existing manuals and ask staff to complete self-guided e-learning modules. Co-create a company-wide learning ecosystem with adaptive learning paths, peer-led workshops, interdisciplinary projects, and digital learning portfolios based on real-world tasks and future-oriented metrics. Hire an external consultant to give a one-day training seminar on 'future skills.

11/20. Your mid-sized manufacturing company has successfully implemented automation and data-driven workflows. However, the executive team sees further innovation only in terms of increased efficiency and cost-cutting. They are skeptical about human-centric approaches in collaborative robot technology, seeing them as vague or unnecessary. You’ve been asked to propose a vision for transitioning that the board can understand and support. What approach do you take?

Organise a workshop with some managers combining real-life case studies, emerging skill trends, and practical examples of human-tech collaboration and sustainability gains. Facilitate a strategic workshop with board members, department leads starting with real-life data, trends and real-life case studies to co-create strategic roadmap, integrating ethical human-tech collaboration, circular economy principles, and employee well-being into measurable KPIs. Show a short presentation that emphasises recent tech upgrades and suggests minor process optimisations. Highlight the differences between Industry 4.0 and 5.0, focusing on theoretical models and EU policy papers.

12/20. Your marketing team has been relying on traditional approaches like direct outreach, market research reports, and campaign brainstorming. But the digital transformation has changed everything. The newest developments demand fluency in AI tools, real-time analytics, and personalised content generation. Your CMO is concerned: team members feel overwhelmed by the shift toward automation and data-driven tools. You’ve been asked to design an intervention that helps the team adjust and thrive. What do you implement?

Launch a collaborative long-term transformation training combining predictive analytics and AI driven marketing tools, hands-on campaigns using real data, and mentoring from tech-savvy peers to foster continuous learning and innovation. Run a presentation outlining current marketing tech trends with some links to tutorials. Encourage them to use AI tools like ChatGPT and analytics platforms on their own time. Develop a structured training program on digital marketing, predictive analytics, and AI-assisted content creation, tailored to team needs.

13/20. A vocational school in a semi-rural area wants to modernise its curriculum. Teachers have strong practical knowledge but limited exposure to digital tools or sustainability practices. Local industries are beginning to digitise, and the school wants to prepare students for meaningful work in this evolving environment. However, budget and access to high-end equipment are limited. As expert trainer and educational advisor, you’re asked to suggest a strategy that aligns with Industry 5.0 without overhauling everything at once. What do you do?

Build a structured modular blended learning training integrating short mindset and awareness inputs on Industry 5.0 themes, digital tools into existing practical lessons, project-based collaboration with industry, and access to additional open-source tools to simulate Industry 5.0 environments. Add a module on Industry 5.0 to existing courses using slides and videos from the EU website. Design a low-cost pilot e-learning course focused on ethical tech use, basic AI knowledge, teamwork, problem-solving, and sustainability projects at school. Provide basic digital literacy workshops and encourage teachers to adapt content when possible.

14/20. Your company is expanding into AI-driven production systems and wants to hire for future-readiness. HR has traditionally focused on technical qualifications and is considering filtering candidates primarily based on engineering degrees and coding skills. You’re brought in to align the hiring strategy with Industry 5.0’s emphasis on human-centric innovation and flexibility. What do you advise?

Maintain the current criteria but include a brief soft skills test at the end of interviews. Redesign job descriptions to reflect adaptability, creative thinking, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, in addition to technical expertise. Ask hiring managers to be open to more diverse profiles without defining how. Develop a new recruitment framework based on the World Economic Forum's future skills index, incorporating scenario-based assessments and potential for human-machine collaboration.

15/20. Your company wants to improve ergonomics with smart systems. An internal review has revealed high physical strain in assembly jobs. Management wants to introduce smart tech to reduce injuries but isn't sure where to begin.

Buy ergonomic chairs and monitor complaints. Install cameras and track posture without informing staff. Launch a human-centred wellbeing project starting a posture campaign, adapting workplaces, co-creating workflows, and integrating feedback loops to optimise safety and comfort. Introduce wearables that collect movement data and start a posture awareness campaign.

16/20. In your newly upgraded smart factory, AI systems now monitor workflow efficiency, safety incidents, and machine maintenance in real-time. However, employees are concerned that these systems are being used to track their behaviour and micromanage performance. Morale is slipping, and unions are beginning to ask questions. You’re part of the transformation team and need to address these concerns while upholding the Industry 5.0 principles of transparency, well-being, and ethical tech use. What is your response?

Hold meetings to explain the goals, show how the data is used, and introduce privacy protocols. Tell staff that monitoring is essential for progress and is not open for debate. Reassure workers that the data isn’t personal but don’t provide access or documentation. Co-develop a data governance policy with workers, ensure transparency dashboards, introduce opt-in pilot programs, and provide open forums for continuous feedback on ethical data use.

17/20. Which of the following best represents the shift from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0?

It means using more machines and fewer people. It means improving technology to make work easier for people. It means integrating human creativity, technology, and sustainability for shared progress. It means automating production and increasing efficiency.

18/20. What is a key characteristic of a “smart factory” in the context of Industry 5.0?

A factory that connects digital systems to improve production. A factory where connected intelligent systems collaborate with humans to adapt and optimise processes. A factory that uses computers and some automation. A factory where robots do all the work.

19/20. How does Industry 5.0 promote employee well-being?

It makes jobs easier by using machines. It enhances well-being by combining ergonomic technology with creative, meaningful human roles. It reduces physical strain through automation and support tools. It helps people do less work.

20/20. Which ethical issue is particularly relevant in the use of AI in Industry 5.0?

Defining shared accountability and transparency for AI-driven decisions within ethical and legal frameworks. Making sure machines don’t make mistakes. Ensuring people are not replaced by robots. Managing how AI decisions affect work and fairness.

Your result: /100

You have achieved a Low Readiness Index. Your approach to developing competences and mobilising resources for Industry 5.0 remains at an early stage. You often treat training, upskilling, and resource planning as isolated or secondary tasks, and your organisation has not yet embedded systematic strategies to prepare the workforce for new human–machine collaboration. Lifelong learning, flexibility, and sustainability competences are rarely prioritised, and you rely heavily on existing skills rather than anticipating the evolving needs of Industry 5.0. At the resource level, you have not yet allocated sufficient investment, partnerships, or infrastructures to support transformation.

Steps to be taken to improve your Readiness Index:

Map the competences most critical for Industry 5.0 (creativity, problem-solving, adaptability, digital literacy, sustainability) and address current gaps.
Establish continuous training programmes combining on-the-job learning, e-learning, and reskilling opportunities.
Begin involving local resources by building networks with educational institutions, training centres, and innovation hubs.
Allocate dedicated budgets and staff to transformation-related competence development.
Strengthen communication to clearly explain how decisions are made and build trust among workers.

You have achieved a Moderate Readiness Index. Your responses show awareness of the importance of competences and resources for Industry 5.0, and some initiatives are already in place, but implementation is fragmented. For example, you may provide training in digital tools or leadership, however, other equally crucial skills such as sustainability competences or ethical awareness are less developed. Similarly, while resources such as infrastructure or local partnerships exist, they are not fully integrated into a coherent strategy.

Steps to be taken to improve your Readiness Index:

Develop a competence framework aligned with Industry 5.0 principles that guides recruitment, training, and career development.
Ensure equal focus on technological expertise and human-centred skills such as empathy, communication, and ethical reflection.
Expand partnerships with universities, VET providers, and local innovation ecosystems to pool resources.
Introduce monitoring tools (e.g. skills audits, resource mapping) to systematically track progress.

You have achieved a High Readiness Index. Your results indicate strong integration of competence development and resource mobilisation into your transformation strategy toward Industry 5.0. You combine investment in advanced technologies with systematic training in human-centred skills such as creativity, adaptability, and sustainability. Your workforce is encouraged to engage in lifelong learning, and you provide diverse training methods including interdisciplinary programmes and e-learning. At the local level, you leverage networks and partnerships effectively, aligning company resources with educational, social, and environmental goals. This readiness level confirms you are well prepared to lead in Industry 5.0, where human skills and resources are as important as technological advances.

To refine your skills even further, you should follow these steps:

Scale up initiatives that link competence development with sustainability and community goals.
Pursue recognition frameworks or certifications for training and workforce development.
Share best practices with local stakeholders to strengthen the overall ecosystem.
Invest in forecasting tools to anticipate future competence needs and adjust strategies proactively.

EQF level alignment

According to your results, your current competence level can be estimated as %EQF%.

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Competences and resources necessary for the transformation to Industry 5.0 at the local level