The fifth industrial revolution, Industry 5.0, is initiating a paradigm shift in manufacturing and challenging the techno-centric production orientation of production seen in Industry 4.0. Industry 5.0 places operators at the centre of production together with technological development and sustainability. This entails a reorientation in which operators are no longer viewed merely as users of technology, but as key drivers of the industry’s digital and green transitions.
This literature review addresses a relatively under-researched topic within Industry 5.0, with a particular focus on operators’ learning and skill development. Based on the reviewed research, the following conditions were identified as facilitating operator learning in the context of the digital and green transitions:
- Redesign work for operator-robot collaboration
- Immersive technologies as training tools
- Supportive leadership and management
- Encourage operators to try new technologies and roles
- Collaboration in partnerships to support skill development
By analysing these conditions through a workplace learning perspective, this review concludes that Industry 5.0 is not merely a technological or environmental revolution but a learning-centred paradigm shift. Realising its operator-centric vision requires embedding learning into everyday work. It calls for changes in workplaces such as redesigning work for operator–robot collaboration, adopting innovative training strategies in immersive learning environments, and developing leadership support for transitions to digital and green production.
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Reference: Grip, T., Gustavsson, M. The Operator Side of Industry 5.0: A Scoping Review of Learning and Skill Development Conditions in the Era of Digital and Green Transitions. Vocations and Learning 19, 6 (2026).