# Frontline Talent of the Future Empowering today's workforce for tomorrow's industries [Explore](https://initiatives.weforum.org/api/communities/v1/public/initiatives/site/page-redirect?initiative_id=06985dc6-fa04-4170-9ef9-0ff981115d0e&page_id=c892c33e-cad8-49f2-8a85-cf11faecf6b3) ## Empowering industry leaders to stay competitive by creating a framework for best practices and fostering a community that prioritizes needs and challenges of industrial workforce. This dynamic peer community will help industry partners achieve new levels of productivity and stability by putting people at the heart of the manufacturing and supply chain. By establishing a framework for evaluating best practices, we will identify solutions that enhance the attraction, skilling, and retention of frontline talent—a critical need as global manufacturing faces a talent shortage. ## Our focus areas The Frontline Talent of the Future examines solutions to enhance the attraction, skilling, and retention of frontline talent ### Attract, Retain, and Train Talent for the Future of Manufacturing and Supply Chains Over 70% of businesses identifying attracting and retaining talent as a primary barrier for business transformation. Addressing workforce challenges requires a fresh approach—one that goes beyond traditional strategies to embrace innovative and proven practices for attracting, retaining, upskilling, and reskilling industrial workers, ultimately enhancing both workforce stability and operational productivity. [Link](#) ### Accelerate Human-Machine Collaboration for a Future-Ready Workforce As per Future of Jobs report, about 40% of the core skillsets in manufacturing are changing in next 3 years and 1 in 2 people will need some sort of upskilling and training. It is essential to identify the changing skill sets, roles, tasks, and workflows that support effective and responsible human-machine collaboration, and to explore how organizations and governments can proactively prepare their workforce to thrive in increasingly automated and intelligent manufacturing and supply chain environments. ## Our impact Through research, experimentation and knowledge exchange, we aim to drive meaningful change. ### Exchange proven strategies and innovations across regions and industries Sharing knowledge and insights about the best approaches to attract, retain, upskill and reskill frontline workforce as part of the Frontline Talent Champions community. ### Enable factories with tools and insights on talent transformations Developing and piloting talent strategies that enable organizations to unlock new level of productivity and stability ### Elevating voice of frontline workers Elevating voice of frontline workforce, showcasing human-centric industrial sites, upskilling and reskilling in action, and worker safety and wellbeing initiatives enabling workforce engagement ## Our insights ### Human Machine Collaboration in Industrial Operations: Activation Playbook Report | June 2026 [Download](https://www.weforum.org/publications/human-machine-collaboration-in-industrial-operations-activation-playbook/) ### Empowering Frontlines: Retaining, Training and Upskilling Industrial Workforce White Paper | September 2025 [Download](https://www.weforum.org/publications/empowering-frontlines-retaining-training-and-upskilling-industrial-workforce/) ### Putting Talent at the Centre: An Evolving Imperative for Manufacturing White Paper | February 2025 [Download](https://www.weforum.org/publications/putting-talent-at-the-centre-an-evolving-imperative-for-manufacturing-2025/) ### Views from the Manufacturing Front Line: Workers’ Insights on How to Introduce New Technology Report | January 2024 [Download](https://www.weforum.org/publications/views-from-the-manufacturing-front-line-workers-insights-on-how-to-introduce-new-technology/) ## Learn more about the future of jobs and manufacturing ## Featured Content ### This technician went from the factory floor to the control room. Her story shows how frontline talent roles are changing Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit. [Read more](https://www.weforum.org/videos/frontline-roles-changing/) ### Creating Tomorrow's Industrial Talent Today Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit. [Read more](https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/sessions/creating-tomorrows-industrial-talent-today/) ### This factory in Chicago has been producing condiments, such as mayo, for 100 years Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit. [Read more](https://www.weforum.org/videos/frontline-talent/) ### This free coding school in Morocco trains students for tech jobs Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit. [Read more](https://www.weforum.org/videos/coding-school-morocco/) ### Why people-centric industries can start as early as high school Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit. ### Do you think factories are boring and retro? Think again Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit. [Read more](https://www.weforum.org/videos/manufacturing-myths/) ### Join us in shaping the future of talent and skills in advanced manufacturing [Join us](https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-advanced-manufacturing-and-supply-chains/home)