Vector Solutions Launches Skills Intelligence to Give Manufacturers a Real-Time View of Workforce Readiness

New AI-native solution connects skills visibility with training to help manufacturers close skills gaps, build frontline readiness, and keep production moving

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Vector Solutions, the leading AI-enabled performance platform that enhances safety, compliance, and workforce readiness for critical industries, announced the launch of Skills Intelligence, a new workforce readiness solution that gives manufacturers a clear view of what their employees can do, rather than relying only on training completion.

The launch comes as manufacturers face growing pressure to build and retain the capabilities needed to keep operations running. Nearly 40% of skills used on the job are expected to change by 2030, and 45% of manufacturers already cite attracting and retaining a quality workforce as a top business challenge. Yet Vector's 2026 market research found that roughly 9 in 10 manufacturers still track workforce skills through spreadsheets, paper, or disconnected systems, making it difficult to see where critical capabilities exist or where gaps could put production at risk.

Skills Intelligence closes that visibility gap by showing proficiency levels and workforce coverage across roles, teams, sites, and shifts. Built on an AI-native platform, the solution helps manufacturers turn existing workforce and skills data into a clearer, more actionable view of readiness. Leaders can quickly identify who is qualified to perform specific work, find coverage for an unexpected absence, spot single points of failure, and determine where cross-training or development is needed. Unlike systems that rely on course completion as a proxy for readiness, Skills Intelligence tracks capabilities validated through an organization's own approval and sign-off processes.

"Manufacturers can't solve today's workforce challenges through hiring alone," said Clare Epstein, General Manager of Commercial at Vector Solutions. "They need to develop the talent they already have, giving employees clear opportunities to build new skills, advance, and apply those skills where they're needed most. At the same time, leaders need confidence that workforce development translates to readiness on the floor. By combining AI with a clear view of validated workforce capabilities, Skills Intelligence helps manufacturers better understand where skills exist, where gaps remain, and where to focus development, creating a stronger connection between workforce development and operational performance."

Built specifically for manufacturers, Skills Intelligence enables organizations to:

• See proven capabilities across the workforce: A visual skills matrix shows proficiency levels across employees, roles, teams, sites, and shifts.
• Find qualified employees quickly: Capability Search identifies workers with the right skill at the required proficiency level across shifts and locations.
• Catch workforce vulnerabilities earlier: Skills Gap views surface areas with limited coverage and single points of failure so teams can cross-train before an absence, retirement, or turnover disrupts operations.
• Close skills gaps from the same workflow: Leaders can assign training or request skill validation directly from the skills matrix.
• Move beyond spreadsheets faster: An AI-powered import wizard converts existing skills matrices, job checklists, and other documents into structured jobs, skills, and proficiency scales in minutes.
• Create a clearer path to grow: Team members can see the skills they need to build to prepare for future roles.
• Stay audit ready: A documented sign-off trail for every validated skill to be used in customer audits, regulatory reviews, and internal quality checks.

"Knowing who has completed training and who is ready to perform a job are two different things," said Dr. Charity True, Manufacturing Training Manager, NS BlueScope, CPNA. "We need a clear, current view of the skills across our workforce so we can make better decisions about staffing, cross-training, and where we need to build additional depth. Vector's Skills Intelligence is a solution shaped around the realities manufacturing teams face every day, designed to make skills management more intuitive without adding complexity to existing workflows."

For manufacturers using Vector's Convergence LMS, Skills Intelligence creates a closed loop from identifying a skills gap to taking action. Leaders can see where capabilities are missing, assign relevant training to help close the gap, and initiate skill validation from the same workflow, connecting workforce visibility directly to development and readiness on the floor.

The solution was developed in partnership with several manufacturing design partners whose feedback helped shape the product around the day-to-day workforce challenges facing plant managers, training leaders, and frontline supervisors.

"Building workforce readiness means giving employees a clearer understanding of where they can grow while making sure the business has the skills it needs for the future," said Eric Emrick, Training Manager, Fairbanks Morse Defense. "We focused on making that connection practical, giving leaders better visibility into workforce capabilities while creating clearer paths for employees to develop new skills and advance. Skills Intelligence brings those pieces together in a way that reflects the realities companies are navigating every day."

Skills Intelligence is available as an add-on for existing Convergence LMS customers, bundled with the LMS for new customers, or as a standalone solution for manufacturers.

To learn more about Vector Solutions Skills Intelligence, click here or request a demo.

ABOUT VECTOR SOLUTIONS for INDUSTRIAL

Vector Solutions for Industrial is the leading Safety, Compliance, and Workforce Readiness Platform for organizations in industrial manufacturing, food and beverage manufacturing, pulp and paper, chemical processing, and facilities management. By integrating workflows, reporting, and training, the Vector platform helps reduce recordable incidents, simplifies compliance, and delivers a safer, workforce-ready organization. Connecting training management, EHS oversight, compliance tracking, and performance tools into one solution, Vector helps streamline operations, save time, and drive measurable results. Serving thousands of clients, Vector empowers safer, more efficient workplaces.

ABOUT VECTOR SOLUTIONS
Vector Solutions is the leading AI-enabled Performance Platform Powering Safe, Compliant, and Efficient Operations for the world's most critical industries. Embedded into daily workflows to drive improvements in compliance, safety, performance, and preparedness, our software includes operational and workforce readiness, training management, industry-focused online course libraries, EHS management, workforce scheduling, asset management, evaluation and performance management, and more. With more than 24,000 clients, Vector powers the outcomes that matter most—saving time, ensuring compliance, embedding knowledge, reducing downtime, and safeguarding lives. For more information, visit www.vectorsolutions.com.

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Kara Kothmann
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SOURCE Vector Solutions