European workers lack skills for the technology revolution, says Ricoh Europe survey

A study from Ricoh Europe has found that employees feel they are ill-equipped for the implementation of new technologies in the workplace.

The research, which involved 3,600 workers from across the continent, revealed their concerns about the integration of technology such as AI and automation.

40% of the group believed a lack of skills stopped such developments being useful, with 67% wanting employers to invest more in relevant training.

"There is a great deal of hype in Europe around digital empowerment and its impact on productivity," said Javier Diez-Aguirre, VP Corporate Marketing at Ricoh Europe.

See also:

• October's issue of the Business Review Europe magazine - OUT NOW!
• Mobile disrupter Truphone raises a further £255mn to fund IoT expansion
• France and Germany forge ahead with car industry automation, UK lags

"While AI and automation will transform the way that we work, a lack of training will drastically reduce ROI. Businesses need to consider the person who will be using the new technology.

"No amount of infrastructure spending will help a business that isn’t encouraging its staff to develop the right skills."

70% of those in the study held the belief that younger employees were more suited to working with new technologies, and 33% were concerned that the issue would eventually lead to them being without a job.