A Perspective on Education to Support Industry 4.0: A Qualitative Case Study in UK

Industry 4.0 is a term frequently used to describe the new upcoming industry era. Higher education institutions aim to prepare students to fulfill the future industry needs. Advancement of the digital technology has paved the way for evolution of education and technology. Evolution of education has proven its conservative nature and a high level of resistance to changes and transformation. The gap between the industry's needs and competencies offered generally by education is revealing the increasing need to find new educational models to face the future. The aim of this study was to identify the main issues faced by both universities and students in preparing future workforce. From December 2018 to April 2019, a regional qualitative study was undertaken in Liverpool, United Kingdom (UK). Interviews were conducted with faculty members and undergraduate students, and the results were analyzed using the open coding method. Four main issues had been identified which are the characteristics of future workforce, students' readiness to work, expectations on different roles played at the tertiary education level and awareness of the latest trends. In conclusion, this technology era requires the employers, academic practitioners and students to work together in order to face the upcoming challenges and fast changing technologies. We suggest that an interactive system should be provided as a platform for these three different parties to play their roles.