INTRODUCTION

Throughout history industrial revolutions were synonymous with new technological advancements, from the steam engine to automation and robots (Xu, 2018). This focus reached its peak with Industry 4.0 with the integration of high-tech industrial strategies and technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the internet of things (IoT) (Barata & Kayser, 2023). However, in the new era of Industry 5.0, technological innovation is expected to align with human-centric, sustainable, and resilient forms of work(European Commission, 2021). This shift places greater emphasis on lifelong learning, upskilling, and reskilling as keys to successful transformation. At the same time, concerns about work-related health and stress outcomes remain central in industrial environments(Eurofound, 2021).

Over recent years, research on workplace learning and work-related health in industrial settings has expanded considerably, leading to multiple systematic reviews across diverse subtopics. These reviews have investigated various learning interventions (e.g., technical training, digital learning, stress-targeted programs), different health and well-beingoutcomes (e.g., occupational stress, burnout, job satisfaction), and varied industrial contexts (e.g., manufacturing, automotive, smart factories). However, the evidence across these reviews has not been synthesized at a higher level, leaving uncertainty about the overall relationship between workplace learning and employees’ health, the consistency of findings across different contexts and methodologies, and the quality of the evidence (Lagrosen & Lagrosen, 2018).

An umbrella review—a systematic synthesis of multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses—is needed to provide a comprehensive overview of this broad field (Fernandez, 2025; Abdellatif, 2025). By combining evidence from these reviews, this umbrella review will clarify relationships among workplace learning interventions and work-related health outcomes In industrial settings by identifying patterns of consistency and discrepancy in findings. It will also evaluate the methodological quality of available reviews, map the evidence landscape across different learning interventions and health outcomes, and highlight critical knowledge gaps that need further investigation. This overarching perspective is essential for understanding how different types of workplace learning impact work-related health across industrial settings and for informing evidence-based policy and practice in the Industry 5.0 era.

Primary systematic reviews focus on specific interventions or outcomes, while this umbrella review synthesizes findings from multiple reviews to address broader questions:

• What is known about workplace learning and work-related health in industrial settings? 

• Where do reviews converge or diverge? 

• What gaps remain in the review evidence? 

• What is the quality and certainty of the synthesized evidence? 

The answers will guide future research practices, organizational strategies, learning initiatives, and policies supporting human-centric industrial transformation.

Aim:

This umbrella review synthesizes existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses on workplace learning practices and work-related health outcomes in industrial settings, with a focus on Industry 5.0. Specifically, we aim to (1) map existing review evidence on learning interventions and health outcomes; (2) identify consistent and divergent findings across reviews; (3) assess methodological quality and evidence certainty; and (4) highlight evidence gaps for future reviews or research. To our knowledge, no umbrella review of this scope has been published.

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