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

1/20. Your SME is exploring smart factory models. What step do you take?

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

2/20. Your company is preparing a strategy to enhance competitivity in the future. How do you frame Industry 5.0?

As a shift toward sustainable, human-centric innovation using advanced tech As a tech upgrade to existing systems As a trend in digital marketing As a blend of AI and human collaboration

3/20. You are training staff on industrial history to build awareness of Industry 5.0. What approach do you take?

Compare changes in work and technology across eras Explain past revolutions without linking them to the wider historical context Mention some highlights in industrial evolution from the 18th century onwards till today. Show how each industrial stage reshaped human roles adapting to technological challenges, leading to newest human-tech collaboration.

4/20. You want to support employee lifelong learning. What is your policy?

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

5/20. You are evaluating training for making your staff fit for Industry 5.0. What is your priority?

Provide one-time training sessions on new tools Incorporate long-term training and soft skill adaptability programs Build a lifelong interactive training fostering creativity, adaptability, tech fluency and ethical awareness Train employees only on current tasks

6/20. 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 agree, because you’re not sure You correct gently, pointing out human-technology collaboration aspects You correct gently saying that Industry 5.0 redefines work processes by focusing on human value, valuing ethics, and environment equally

7/20. You want to future-proof your workforce. How do you upskill employees?

Use occasional, modular training targeting tech skills of the future Adopt updated lifelong learning strategies focused on skills of the future, and sustainability Offer basic tech training with no follow-up Teach only what is needed now

8/20. You’re developing a hiring policy for future skills. What’s your focus?

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

9/20. 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.

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

10/20. 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.

11/20. 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?

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

12/20. 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. 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. 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.

13/20. 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. Hire an external consultant to give a one-day training seminar on 'future skills. 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.

14/20. 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?

Design a low-cost pilot e-learning course focused on ethical tech use, basic AI knowledge, teamwork, problem-solving, and sustainability projects at school. 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. Provide basic digital literacy workshops and encourage teachers to adapt content when possible.

15/20. 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?

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. Introduce AI-powered energy monitoring to reduce waste and pilot a circular materials program in one department. Start a “green week” internal campaign and reduce paper use in the office. Install solar panels on the factory roof and highlight them in marketing without changing operations.

16/20. 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?

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. Insist that employees accept cobots as the future and warn of performance reviews for non-compliance. Invite workers to a one-hour info session, assuring them that their jobs are safe. Organise hands-on training sessions showing how cobots assist, not replace, workers and highlight ergonomic benefits and safety.

17/20. How does Industry 5.0 promote employee well-being?

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

18/20. Why is lifelong learning essential in Industry 5.0?

Because continuous learning enables innovation, adaptability, and critical reflection in a transforming world. Because technology keeps changing at work. Because people forget what they learn. Because new skills are needed to stay employable.

19/20. Which of the following describes the “Skill Disruption Index” from the Emsi Burning Glass Study (2022)?

It shows which jobs people do most often. It measures how job skills evolve over time. It analyses the extent and complexity of skill transformation across occupations, predicting global labour trends. It shows how technology changes work in some jobs.

20/20. 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 integrating human creativity, technology, and sustainability for shared progress. It means improving technology to make work easier for people. It means automating production and increasing efficiency.

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