Hartnell College and Festo Didactic partner on Industry 4.0 training
The transformation of the agricultural sector, in what is also becoming a highly automated work environment in produce processing and packaging, requires a tech-savvy, skilled workforce. With tech innovation outpacing workforce development, the technical skills gap that currently exists is putting a strain on many agricultural communities.
“We need 1,000 people right now that we don’t have,” said Clint Cowden, Dean of Academic Affairs for Hartnell College. “The mechanical innovation is here, but who’s trained to use it?”