Research reveals how automated mobility will transform the transportation workforce
Thursday 17th September 2026
Research reveals how automated mobility will transform the transportation workforce
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Automated mobility to reshape the transportation industry
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New positions needed to design, operate, regulate and secure automated mobility systems
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Study recommends employers, policymakers and education providers begin developing training pathways
Academics at 海角社区 Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of 海角社区 were one of 13 partners on the European research project entitled Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility - Employment Realisation through Acquisition of Skills (CCAM-ERAS), examining how automation will transform the transport workforce and identifying the actions needed to support a fair, resilient and future-ready transition to automated mobility.
As CCAM technologies, from driverless vehicles to fully connected transport systems, begin to reshape how people and goods move across Europe, the CCAM鈥慐RAS project has assessed what this technological shift means for roles, skills and wider workforce structures.
Building on this analysis, CCAM鈥慐RAS has set out the actions required to ensure the transition delivers safer, more efficient and more sustainable mobility while supporting workers and society through the changes automation will bring.
The two-year study found that some traditional jobs, particularly driving and manual vehicle maintenance roles, are likely to decline as CCAM technologies become more widely used. But, at the same time, new jobs will be created to support the deployment and operation of automated transport services.
Jonathan Smith, Principal Engineer at WMG, said: "This is an important time for self-driving in the UK with the launch this month of the first public facing self-driving pilots in London.
鈥淭his enables the public to actively experience self鈥慸riving technology and contribute to the way it evolves. Through the CCAM鈥慐RAS project, we鈥檝e been able to get a head start in understanding its potential social and economic impacts, helping us identify the future research, engineering and policy challenges needed to support a responsible and well鈥憁anaged transition.鈥�
Project Lead, Ioanna Kourounioti, from Panteia said: 鈥淐CAM is not simply a technological transition; it will reshape jobs, skills and mobility systems across Europe. As project coordinator, Panteia is proud of the achievements and the knowledge developed within CCAM鈥擡RAS that have brought together expertise from across the CCAM value chain to turn evidence into practical recommendations. Our shared ambition is to ensure that automated mobility develops in a way that creates public value, supports workers and delivers safe, sustainable and inclusive mobility for all."
The research found that Europe's existing labour shortages are likely to reduce the overall impact of job losses. However, the key challenge will be ensuring workers can gain the skills needed for emerging roles quickly enough.
Truck and taxi drivers are expected to be among the occupations most affected as automated systems take on more driving functions. Some maintenance roles are also expected to change.
But rather than disappearing, many jobs will evolve with workers taking on more supervisory, diagnostic and digital supported roles. New positions will also be needed to design, operate, regulate and secure automated mobility systems.
From an inventory of tasks across six real-world use cases, from port and terminal logistics to shared and public transport, the project identified twelve such occupations, clustered into four areas:
- Running CCAM day-to-day: Customer service agents, fleet orchestrators, remote operations specialists, technicians and safety drivers
- Preparing the ground for deployment: Infrastructure planning and engineering roles
- Policy and regulation: Policy officers, insurance underwriters and app interface developers
- Building the underlying technology: AV systems engineers, compliance officers and cybersecurity specialists
The research revealed that skills shortages are already emerging and could increase as the technology develops faster than education and training systems can adapt. This is particularly important for workers whose current roles are expected to change, as they will need clear routes into the new occupations being created by the sector.
To support a smooth transition, the project recommends that employers, policymakers and education providers begin developing training pathways now, using the occupational profiles and skills requirements identified by the research. The findings were tested and refined through stakeholder workshops and the delivery of pilot training materials to industry and public-sector organisations.
By acting early, stakeholders can help ensure that workers are ready for emerging opportunities and that the shift to automated transport delivers both economic and social benefits.
WMG鈥檚 Safe Autonomy Research Group contributed to the project, which was led by Panteia BV (Netherlands) and funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe. Other partners include CINOP, Cambridge Econometrics, PAVE Europe, CORTE, MaaSLab, Rupprecht Consult, SINTEF, ITS Norway, and SAAM.
Find the White Paper, project video, employment modelling, skills foresight, socio-economic impact assessment and policy recommendations are available via the project's website:
To learn more about WMG鈥檚 Safe Autonomy Research Group visit: Safe AutonomyLink opens in a new window