Technical progress and Industry 4.0 are transforming the world of work. Some jobs will probably no longer exist in their current form in the future. On the other hand, this trend also creates new areas of activity and job profiles and opens up new paths for one's own career.
1. Robot programmer
At what angle does a robot arm grip the component? How long does the movement last? Answers to this are provided by the robot programmer, who gives the machine its “sensitivity”. He is the contact person for customers – from classic mechanical engineers to automobile manufacturers – and is responsible for commissioning and repairs. To do this, he must be familiar with the robot's operating system and be able to write software. Modern robots are programmed in Java. Studying electrical engineering with a focus on automation technology is ideal. By the way: The global umbrella organization for robotics is forecasting a high number of new installations in the coming years: there should be 900,000 by 2017 alone.
2. Automation engineer
The automation engineer plays a key role in Industry 4.0 because, among other things, he ensures that the networking within a factory works. He works with sensors in the Internet of Things area and creates software for the control technology of production systems. University graduates who can find a job with a future here come from the fields of electrical engineering, communications engineering or computer science. Courses with this specialization are offered by Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences and Heilbronn University, for example.
3. Data scientist
A few years ago, the Harvard Business Review named data scientist the “sexiest” job of the 21st century. Because in the age of Biga Data, in which people produce data with a total size of 2.5 quintillion bytes every day and the annual amount of data is expected to increase by 2,000 percent by 2020, experts are needed to organize this mass of information. The specific task of the data scientist: Using algorithms, filter out useful information from the sometimes unstructured mass of data and prepare it for analysis. For example, data from sensors, machines, content management systems or social networks.
In Germany, the University of Konstanz, among others, offers a Master in Data Analysis; You can also take relevant courses at online academies such as Udacity .
4. IT Security Manager
Hacker attacks, viruses and Trojans – where there is a lot of data, there are also many security risks, especially in the intelligent factory of Industry 4.0, in which machines, system components and sensors are networked with one another. While money used to be stolen, today data is the sought-after “currency”, which is why the job of IT security manager is becoming increasingly important. He plans and designs the IT security architecture and infrastructure, assesses possible risks and develops IT security tests. Of course, computer scientists are welcome; At the Ruhr University Bochum or the TU Darmstadt there is also a special course in “IT security”.
5. E-mobility
Although there are still problems with implementation and practicality in Germany, business and politics fundamentally agree: the future will be electric, with electric or hybrid vehicles. Volkswagen alone plans to bring 30 electric cars onto the market by 2025. Universities are also increasingly meeting this trend and offering e-mobility courses, including the Chemnitz University of Technology , the University of Stuttgart and the Munich University of Applied Sciences .
Technical progress and Industry 4.0 are transforming the world of work - and creating new job profiles.
