A learning factory to boost the mobility sector in Hauts-de-France

France’s leading automotive and rail region will soon reap the benefit from a mobility sector learning factory.

It aims to upskill the local workforce to prepare for Industry 4.0 and meet market developments and local sector demands.

The mobility learning factory: a training space for Industry 4.0

In a sector that’s constantly evolving, regional stakeholders must rise to technological challenges: automation and robotisation, predictive maintenance and industrial IT. Every manufacturing role is affected.

The mobility learning factory provides an opportunity to:

• discover Industry 4.0 in a new semi-industrial training space
• upskill employees to work with cutting-edge technologies

“The challenge is to prepare for the jobs of tomorrow. In future we will see driverless, connected vehicles and energy transition, evolution that will require new roles in mechanics, electricity, plastics and more.” Luc Messien, General Delegate, Aria Hauts-de-France

Located near University of Valenciennes, the learning factory will open in 2023 at a site dedicated to mobility and founded on 3 pillars:

• Innovation : in conjunction with the Transalley international technology park, bringing together companies, laboratories and training centres to develop future industry and the mobility sector.
• Promotion of the sector with the Sustainable Transport and Mobility Institute (IMTD), an unrivalled centre for innovation discovery and the jobs of the future.
• Training through the learning factory.

Mobility-sector Learning Factory: training for everyone

Employees, jobseekers, temporary workers, students and trainers can gain from a wide range of training in three formats:

• Individual, tailored training packages
• Face-to-face and distance learning
• Innovative formats, including immersive exercises using serious games and digital nomad kits for the workplace

The training solutions will focus on the building blocks for future industry:

• Collaborative robots and smart machines
• Connected devices and data production
• Big Data and artificial intelligence
• Vertical and horizontal integration
• Advanced simulation tools
• Additive manufacturing, innovative materials and processes
• Augmented reality
• Blockchain
• Cloud and cybersecurity

Why open a learning factory for the mobility sector in Hauts-de-France?

As France’s leading automotive and rail region, Hauts-de-France offers a rare breeding ground for skills in the mobility sector.

• 56,000 jobs in the automotive sector, including 6,000 in R&D
• 10,000 jobs in the rail sector
• 1,500 apprentices, including 750 work-study placements in the automotive plants alone

This one-of-a-kind project, offering a centralised tool that pools resources, is able to rise to the challenge of reskilling the workforce which is crucial for a region that strives to remain industrially competitive.

Find out more about the mobility sector in Hauts-de-France

A project led by Transalley, ARIA Hauts-de-France, UIMM and AIF and supported by the state, the region, Valenciennes Metropolis and private stakeholders.