Resolving the Machine Vision Industry Talent Shortage

The machine vision industry has experienced steady, robust growth since its first deployment in the manufacturing sector and this growth has no foreseeable end. Machine vision is used in an incredibly diverse range of applications, now inside and outside of the factory setting, and is an indispensable part of some of the most innovative technology available today.

This proliferation of machine vision systems has led to a growing shortage of talent in the machine vision industry. Most young engineers who are interested in computational imaging are more focused on the algorithmic portion of imaging in an attempt to land jobs at Apple, Google, Microsoft or any of the other big tech firms.

Machine vision and manufacturing, for now at least, is not often a top consideration for young students.

The Core Issue of the Machine Vision Talent Shortage

While there’s not one single reason that there’s a shortage of talent in machine vision, the core issue is a general lack of awareness surrounding modern manufacturing. It’s often perceived as dirty, dangerous, and no longer relevant to modern society by both students and their parents, leading to very little interest in modern manufacturing.

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This problem is only compounded when discussing a hyper-focused, specialized sector of manufacturing like machine vision. Many consumers may not even understand what machine vision is, and engineering students who are interested in manufacturing are typically drawn to robotics.

Addressing the Issue of the Machine Vision Talent Shortage

Students should see machine vision and manufacturing as an exciting, challenging and engaging profession. The best way to introduce machine vision technology to students is through industry collaboration with universities across the country.

In the past few years, dozens of partnerships have arisen between top machine vision solutions providers and technical and vocational schools across the U.S. Companies are sending engineers to universities to explain the benefits of working in manufacturing and why it’s a viable career choice.

The collaboration between industry and educational institutions is quickly improving, but the talent shortage remains. As the machine vision industry grows, continued collaboration will be required to fill the shortage of talented machine vision professionals.