Siemens has informed its employees about coming layoffs in Dresden transformer plant in Germany, following the announcement of new measures related to the establishment of Siemens' Gas and Power (GP) Operating Company and optimization of business in power transmission products and systems.

When you read the news releases about plant closings, realignments, one division being sold to a different company, it all points to one thing; this industry is changing and changing fast. When Siemens announces job cuts of 2700, while also announcing a change in their approach to the power and transmission industry, if we focus just on the job cuts we will be missing a bigger trend that is happening throughout every industry, not just power. That trend is change; robotics; automation; and the rapid move to the digital economy.

For dynamic companies, like Siemens, job cuts in one area will be offset by job gains in other areas. While it may not be a one to one correlation with job cuts and job growth, it is a trend that successful companies cannot ignore. As painful as it is for those being let go, it is likely the opposite for those being hired. It points to the need for skills training that matches the jobs we are developing, and the vast majority of those jobs will be digital, knowledge jobs.

Read behind the headlines. Look for the trends that will shape our power industry future, because all of these same trends are happening in the important segment of the industry we know as Transformer Technology. Our vision is to be the leading "digital voice" of that future.