{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:58:30Z","timestamp":1787029110586,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]],"date-time":"2025-05-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746748800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Xjenza Malta","award":["REP 2023-024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["REP 2023-024"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["MTI"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The rapid emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies has transformed manufacturing, requiring a workforce skilled in automation, data-driven decision-making, and process optimisation. While traditional education includes structured formats such as lectures and tutorials, it may not always equip graduates with the hands-on expertise demanded by modern industrial challenges. This study presents a Mixed Reality (MR)-based educational framework that promotes interactive experiences to enhance students\u2019 engagement with and understanding of Industry 4.0 concepts, aiming to bridge the skills gap through immersive Virtual Learning Factories (VLFs). The framework was developed using a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative feedback with quantitative benchmarking. A proof-of-concept MR application was developed and tested at the (Anonymised), simulating Industry 4.0 scenarios in an engineering education context to validate the framework. The findings indicate that MR-based learning improved students\u2019 engagement with the academic content, leading to better knowledge retention and deeper conceptual understanding. The students also demonstrated enhanced problem-solving, process optimisation, and adaptability compared to traditional methods. The immersive nature of MR provided an interactive, context-rich environment that fostered active learning. This research highlights MR\u2019s potential as a transformative educational tool, aligning academic training with industry needs. Future research is recommended to evaluate the framework\u2019s scalability and long-term effectiveness.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/mti9050043","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]],"date-time":"2025-05-09T04:13:44Z","timestamp":1746764024000},"page":"43","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["Education 4.0 for Industry 4.0: A Mixed Reality Framework for Workforce Readiness in Manufacturing"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-4009-2768","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Bondin","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9271-9682","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joseph Paul","family":"Zammit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"625","DOI":"10.1016\/j.procs.2019.09.096","article-title":"Industry 4.0 and Competitiveness","volume":"158","author":"Bal","year":"2019","journal-title":"Procedia Comput. 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