The Future Of Less Work How is Technology Changing Manufacturing Jobs with Gregory Tink
How do you attract a new generation of workers to an industry often seen as old-fashioned?
In this episode of The Future of Less Work, Gregory Tink, Digital Transformation Director at Schneider Electric, joins host Nirit Cohen to explore how technology, innovation, and culture shifts are reshaping the future of manufacturing. Together, they dive into how AI, automation, and digitalization are not just modernizing operations, but also making manufacturing careers appealing to Gen Z—a generation looking for impact, technology-driven roles, and meaningful work. From changing perceptions to rethinking leadership and building new pipelines through universities, this conversation unpacks how the manufacturing sector can design a future that works for the next generation.
Guest Information:
Gregory Tink, Digital Transformation Director at Schneider Electric
Gregory Tink is an Operations Transformation and Technology specialist with over 20 years of industry and leadership experience primarily in oil and gas and mining. Over his career, Gregory has owned 4 businesses focused on operational excellence, technology enablement, and organizational transformation. In these businesses, he worked with a variety of clients to transform operations digitally. This included standing up operations and control centers, the implementation of operations, asset optimization, and maintenance platforms, the rollout of cyber security and risk strategies, the integration of OT/IT, and the integration of business functions supporting value chain alignment and the digital thread across the asset lifecycle.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregtink/
Chapters:
00:00 – How Industry 5.0 Redefines the Factory of the Future
01:28 – What Is Manufacturing’s Role in the Future of Work?
03:36 – Breaking Old Perceptions About Factory Jobs
04:48 – Does Technology Replace or Redefine Jobs?
06:54 – How Is Automation Changing Factory Roles?08:29 – Gen Z Demands Tech-Driven Workplaces
09:53 – Building Talent Pipelines Through University Partnerships
11:34 – Why Leadership in Manufacturing Must Change
15:36 – Balancing Innovation and Standardization in Factories
19:05 –Flexibility in Factory Careers
21:23 – Creating Career Mobility In Manufacturing
23:40 – How COVID-19 Changed Manufacturing Work Forever
25:49 – Redesigning Factory Jobs
27:00 – AI Will Revolutionize Factory Operations
28:57 – Preparing for the Rise of AI-Driven Manufacturing