Preparing Students for Industry 5.0: Evaluating the Industrial Engineering and Management Education.

In light of the recent shift in the industrial sector from the technology-centric Industry 4.0 to the sustainable and human-oriented Industry 5.0, the focus has now been directed toward human centricity at the intersection between technology and management to support sustainability, digitalization, and innovation. To further investigate the implications of this shift for Industry 5.0, this paper evaluates how effectively current Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) education prepares students for these new industrial paradigms. A comprehensive survey of human resource professionals, as well as of IEM students and graduates, was conducted to identify deficiencies in existing educational programs at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and to assess their ability to adapt to rapid industrial changes. The survey results confirm the need to enhance current educational strategies, with 80% of participants agreeing that curriculum updates are necessary, and an ideal competence distribution identified as 39% technological, 28% methodological, and 33% social skills. These enhancements will better equip future industrial engineers and managers with the essential skills they need to thrive in the rapidly changing industrial environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]