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

1/20. You’re developing a hiring policy for future skills. What’s your focus?

Hire for creativity, ethical thinking, and collaboration with emerging technologies

Look for flexibility and train on the job

Prioritise digital fluency and adaptability

Technical proficiency above all else

2/20. A colleague claims Industry 5.0 is just more automation. How do you respond?

You try to be more precise by saying that it’s about better machines

You correct gently, pointing out human-technology collaboration aspects

You agree, because you’re not sure

You correct gently saying that Industry 5.0 redefines work processes by focusing on human value, valuing ethics, and environment equally

3/20. Your company is preparing a strategy to enhance competitivity in the future. How do you frame Industry 5.0?

As a blend of AI and human collaboration

As a trend in digital marketing

As a tech upgrade to existing systems

As a shift toward sustainable, human-centric innovation using advanced tech

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

Consult employees and offer role-specific retraining

Update job descriptions without retraining work force

5/20. Your organisation is skeptical of AI adoption. What Industry 5.0 case do you make?

Smart tools boost productivity

AI can support meaningful work reducing physical and mental strain

Technology helps to remain competitive

AI will save time and money

6/20. You are evaluating training for making your staff fit for Industry 5.0. What is your priority?

Build a lifelong interactive training fostering creativity, adaptability, tech fluency and ethical awareness

Incorporate long-term training and soft skill adaptability programs

Train employees only on current tasks

Provide one-time training sessions on new tools

7/20. A school asks how to prepare students for Industry 5.0 careers. What advice do you give?

Offer coding lessons only

Teach them machine maintenance

Develop curiosity, adaptability, and cross-disciplinary problem-solving skills

Blend tech training with communication and other soft skills training

8/20. 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?

Encourage them to master one fundamental technical skill

Foster curiosity, creative thinking, problem solving and ethical responsibility

Teach them to follow structured instructions

Promote digital adaptability and teamwork

9/20. 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?

Digitise existing manuals and ask staff to complete self-guided e-learning modules.

Hire an external consultant to give a one-day training seminar on 'future skills.

Implement modular training that combines hands-on sessions with reskilling in AI, communication, and systems thinking, tailored to employee roles.

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.

10/20. 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?

Highlight the differences between Industry 4.0 and 5.0, focusing on theoretical models and EU policy papers.

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.

11/20. 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?

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.

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.

12/20. 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?

Reassure workers that the data isn’t personal but don’t provide access or documentation.

Tell staff that monitoring is essential for progress and is not open for debate.

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.

Hold meetings to explain the goals, show how the data is used, and introduce privacy protocols.

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?

Provide basic digital literacy workshops and encourage teachers to adapt content when possible.

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.

14/20. In your electronics company, you’ve introduced collaborative robots (cobots) to reduce repetitive manual tasks and improve workplace safety. While management is excited, many frontline workers are anxious, believing the cobots will eventually replace them. Some are openly resistant, citing lack of training and fears of job loss. You need to implement a strategy that addresses these concerns and supports a successful transition to human-machine collaboration. What do you do?

Organise hands-on training sessions showing how cobots assist, not replace, workers and highlight ergonomic benefits and safety.

Launch a participatory transformation process with worker training, including peer mentors, co-create new job roles with upskilling plans, and integrate feedback loops into the rollout of cobots.

Invite workers to a one-hour info session, assuring them that their jobs are safe.

Insist that employees accept cobots as the future and warn of performance reviews for non-compliance.

15/20. Your engineering team is used to physical prototyping. Now, leadership wants to reduce material waste and speed up testing using digital twins. Some team members see this as unnecessary complexity and argue it won’t replace “real” testing. They’re worried about the learning curve and believe it’s only relevant for large corporations. As the innovation lead, you must drive adoption in a way that’s both practical and motivating. What do you do?

Send them a whitepaper on how digital twins improve efficiency and ask them to experiment.

Mandate use of digital twins on all projects starting next month without training.

Facilitate a collaborative development sprint with involved teams, integrating real-time feedback, training, and co-created success metrics to demonstrate tangible value.

Run a hands-on pilot with one product line, showcasing how digital twins cut iteration time and reduce resource use.

16/20. 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.

Launch a human-centred wellbeing project starting a posture campaign, adapting workplaces, co-creating workflows, and integrating feedback loops to optimise safety and comfort.

Install cameras and track posture without informing staff.

Introduce wearables that collect movement data and start a posture awareness campaign.

Buy ergonomic chairs and monitor complaints.

17/20. What role do “circular economy” principles play in Industry 5.0?

They mean recycling products when possible.

They mean planning production so materials are reused effectively.

They mean designing whole production systems around resource regeneration and sustainability goals.

They mean throwing away less waste.

18/20. What is the main purpose of interdisciplinary training in Industry 5.0?

To combine skills from different fields to solve problems.

To work in different departments if needed.

To learn one simple job well.

To integrate diverse expertise creatively to adapt to complex, technology-driven environments.

19/20. Which skill will be increasingly important for employees in Industry 5.0 according to the Future of Jobs Report 2023?

Being able to solve problems using technology and teamwork.

Being able to use technology for daily work tasks.

Knowing how to follow given instructions at work.

Demonstrating analytical and creative thinking to innovate with technology.

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

A factory that uses computers and some automation.

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 where robots do all the work.

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