How Industry 4.0 is changing the quality of labor: A qualitative research on business in Turkey applaying Industry 4.0 technologies

The subject of this thesis is the effect of the fourth industrial revolution on the quality of labor. It is the research of what kind of change has occurred in the qualification of labor with the fourth industrial revolution and which skills come to the fore in this context. The aim of this thesis is to develop policies for the requalification of labor by providing an understanding of the change and transformation experienced, and in this context, to ensure that the labor is qualified and gets its share from a fairer distribution. In this thesis, a qualitative study method was adopted and in-depth interviews were conducted with 7 large-scale companies operating in the metal sector of the manufacturing industry and also using industry 4.0 technologies in production. Interviews were analyzed with MAXQDA 20. As a result of this research, it has been found that the internet of things, big data, artificial intelligence and robotic technologies are used most actively in production in the manufacturing industry. It has been understood that the scope of automation is gradually expanding. As a result of the use of smart technologies in production, it has been found that the combination of worker-machine in production creates high added value. It constitutes a skilled workforce of employees who can use digital skills and industry 4.0 technologies. In the requalification of labor, the method expressed as hybrid is applied.