The vast majority (92%) of marine industry organisations are experiencing some difficulties in the recruitment of engineers, and this skills shortage is not just an immediate concern, but in the future “will also seriously impact the industry’s ability to provide the government-backed predicted growth”.

This is according to a report put together by Natalie Desty, marine department manager at recruiter Matchtech. Of those companies confirming recruitment difficulties, over two-fifths said they had had experienced such difficulties in ‘most of their vacancies’.

Says the report: “A strong order book means nothing if the organisations involved are unable to actively recruit the staff to facilitate these projects.”

Desty tells Recruiter: “These issues cause concern and unless action is taken now, this problem will only continue to go downhill.” She also says that Matchtech has a specialist team visiting UK universities “educating and motivating graduates about the engineering industry, but a lot more of this needs to be done”.

Concludes Desty: “There is no overnight solution to this problem, but it requires collaboration across all sectors of the industry to ensure that marine sector – and engineering as a whole – has a sustainable future.”