Vector launches skills intelligence for manufacturers

Vector Solutions has launched Skills Intelligence for manufacturers, software designed to give plant leaders a real-time view of workforce readiness.

The product shows which workers are qualified for specific tasks across roles, teams, sites and shifts, based on skills validated through a company's own sign-off processes. It is intended to help employers identify cover for absences, detect skills gaps and assign training within the same workflow.

The launch comes as manufacturers face pressure over labour availability and changing skill requirements. Vector cited its 2026 market research showing that about nine in 10 manufacturers still track workforce skills through spreadsheets, paper records or disconnected systems.

That can leave employers struggling to answer basic staffing questions, such as who can cover a missing operator, where critical knowledge is concentrated in a single employee, or which teams need cross-training before retirements create gaps.

According to Vector, Skills Intelligence differs from systems that use course completion as an indicator of readiness because it tracks capabilities formally validated by the organisation. The software provides visibility into proficiency levels and workforce coverage across multiple operating areas.

The system also includes a search function to locate qualified workers across shifts and locations, views that highlight single points of failure, and tools for assigning training or requesting skill validation. An import tool converts existing skills matrices, job checklists and other documents into structured records.

For manufacturers already using Vector's Convergence LMS, the product links skills data with training workflows. Managers can identify a gap, assign relevant training and start the validation process in the same system.

It is available as an add-on for existing Convergence LMS customers, bundled with the LMS for new customers, or as a standalone offering.

Clare Epstein, General Manager of Commercial at Vector Solutions, said manufacturers need to focus on developing existing staff as well as recruiting.

"Manufacturers can't solve today's workforce challenges through hiring alone. They need to develop the talent they already have, giving employees clear opportunities to build new skills, advance, and apply those skills where they're needed most. At the same time, leaders need confidence that workforce development translates to readiness on the floor. By combining AI with a clear view of validated workforce capabilities, Skills Intelligence helps manufacturers better understand where skills exist, where gaps remain, and where to focus development, creating a stronger connection between workforce development and operational performance," Epstein said.

Training focus

Training managers at NS BlueScope and Fairbanks Morse Defence were cited by Vector as contributors to the product's development and early feedback. The software was developed with manufacturing design partners to reflect the day-to-day requirements of plant managers, training leaders and frontline supervisors.

Dr Charity True, Manufacturing Training Manager at NS BlueScope, CPNA, said manufacturers need more than course completion data when making staffing decisions.

"Knowing who has completed training and who is ready to perform a job are two different things. We need a clear, current view of the skills across our workforce so we can make better decisions about staffing, cross-training, and where we need to build additional depth. Vector's Skills Intelligence is a solution shaped around the realities manufacturing teams face every day, designed to make skills management more intuitive without adding complexity to existing workflows," True said.

The broader backdrop is a manufacturing sector facing continued concerns over retention and changing job requirements. Vector said nearly 40% of skills used on the job are expected to change by 2030, while 45% of manufacturers already identify attracting and retaining a quality workforce as a leading business challenge.

That is pushing employers to seek better visibility into who can perform which tasks and where operational risk may be concentrated. In plants where expertise remains tied to individual workers or isolated records, unplanned absences or departures can quickly disrupt output.

Eric Emrick, Training Manager at Fairbanks Morse Defence, said the issue is not only operational coverage but also employee development.

"Building workforce readiness means giving employees a clearer understanding of where they can grow while making sure the business has the skills it needs for the future. We focused on making that connection practical, giving leaders better visibility into workforce capabilities while creating clearer paths for employees to develop new skills and advance. Skills Intelligence brings those pieces together in a way that reflects the realities companies are navigating every day," Emrick said.