Abstract:

The lack of skilled technicians becomes the main problem of many (not only industrial) companies in the Czech Republic and EU countries. The situation is becoming so serious that we note a tendency to invest funds in the area of education that are targeted for acquisition of material equipment of schools, technical education and solutions linking theory with practice.

Already, it is necessary to reckon with the fact that today we prepare professionals who will soon operate modified job as they studying now. This is enhanced with the rapid evolution of technologies, i.e. the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). This concept was officially introduced at the 2013 Hanover Fair. Fourth Industrial Revolution is a term designating cyber - physical systems, which introduced radical changes in the production process compared to the current situation.

Developments in EU countries in recent years shows that there is necessarily a change in the competences of workers in many professions. Trends in the development of technologies tend to downsize or revise certain working specialization and to create some new specialization in in some areas with growing demand for skilled people, especially in connection with IT systems. An example might be a development in car-repairs, where competencies in electronics are becoming essential moreover with in the future electro-mobility enlargement.
These changes lead to corresponding changes in the system of technical vocational education at national and international level.

The present article aims to describe the main areas of impact of the innovation process on technical vocational education. The main sub-themes addressed are the following:
• Analysis of the competencies and skills of workers and technicians in smart factories.
• Induced changes in curriculum, introducing new courses in vocational training.
• Induced changes in training of teachers of vocational subjects.
• Impact of robotics, automation and 3D technologies on technical training.
• Internet, virtual and augmented reality.

The paper brings some results of research of readiness of teachers of vocational subjects on then coming Fourth industrial revolution in the Czech Republic

Keywords:

4th Industrial Revolution, Technical Education, Automatization, Vocational Edication.