Assessing New Learning Paths for Upskilling and Reskilling the Shipbuilding Workforce

The shipbuilding industry, like many others, is facing a critical challenge: the lack of generational replacement among its workforce. As experienced professionals retire, there is a growing gap between the knowledge and skills needed to maintain the industry's high standards and the capabilities of the incoming workforce. Exacerbating this issue is the rapid transformation driven by Industry 4.0, which is reshaping shipbuilding through digitization, automation, and advanced manufacturing techniques. On top of this, the traditional training programs that have long served the industry are struggling to keep up with these swift and profound changes. As a result, the need for innovative training solutions that can respond to the increasing demand for specialized skills and competencies has become more critical than ever. This confluence of factors, an ageing workforce and a rapidly evolving industry, highlights the urgent need for the adoption of new learning strategies as a key measure to bridge the skills gap. In this context, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) present a valuable opportunity for both upskilling and reskilling. These courses offer open access and flexible learning options, making them highly adaptable to the diverse needs of learners in the shipbuilding sector. The University of A Coruña (UDC), in partnership with CT Engineers, has developed a MOOC focusing on shipbuilding and Industry 4.0 as part of the MATES project (https://projectmates.eu/). This initiative aims to assess whether MOOCs can serve as an effective training tool for workforce development in the shipbuilding sector. This paper will the findings derived from student surveys conducted during the course, evaluating the results to determine the viability of MOOCs in this context. Additionally, an analysis based on data by gender, age group and country will provide insights into how these courses can help close the skills gap and address the challenges posed by the current situation of the maritime sector.