The difficulties and challenges with fast-changing technologies in the workforce – outcome of the ERA Future Group workshop, part 2

On 8 June, during the ERA Convention, the Future Group held a workshop on making careers in the rental industry more attractive ‎to all generations, including younger people.

As well as reflecting on how we can make the rental industry attractive to younger people and keep ‎them loyal to their companies, as reported in our last article, the participants were also asked about the difficulties and challenges with fast-changing technologies in the ‎workforce and how companies support those changes.

Rapid technological modernisation benefits the rental industry but also brings many challenges

‎The biggest challenge is to avoiding technological skill obsolescence, especially with regard to ‎older generations. Rental companies should invest in skills training and lifelong learning ‎‎(for all ages) to keep their employees’ skills relevant, counter skill shortages, and keep providing ‎the most effective, safe and high-quality service possible. In addition, it is helpful for employees ‎to acquire a wider set of skills to enable them to do a wider variety of tasks and be more flexible in ‎switching between job positions.‎

Another issue relates to data property and compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation ‎‎(GDPR). The challenge for operators that comes with technological developments is data ‎protection in light of GDPR, especially regarding connected tracking devices. The rental industry ‎should also learn how to deal with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) regarding ‎opportunities and challenges. ‎

All in all, within the rental industry, learning should be part of the job. Rental companies should ‎invest in training and ensure time is available for employees to learn. The industry’s general ‎attitude needs to become more open to lifelong learning and the idea of returning to school ‎should be promoted. Training should be easily accessible, not only in the form of courses but also, ‎for example, as digital tutorials. Manufacturers and suppliers should provide the necessary ‎information on the use of equipment in advance and in a standardised form.‎

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If you are a rental company and would like to be represented in the ERA Future Group, please contact the ERA team at [email protected].