Manufacturing skills gap and retention needs to be addressed, say recruiters
15 July 2014
Hidden beneath the recently reported rise in UK employment figures is a severe shortage of applicants with the necessary skills to work in industry, says a UK recruitment expert.
Tue, 15 Jul 2014Hidden beneath the recently reported rise in UK employment figures is a severe shortage of applicants with the necessary skills to work in industry, says a UK recruitment expert.
Greg Lettington, director at global professional recruiting group Hays Engineering, told Recruiter: “There are widely observed skills shortages in advanced manufacturing, particularly in the areas of aerospace and automotive engineering that we recruit for.
“If the UK is to retain and grow its market share in manufacturing we need to address these issues and encourage more new entrants to the industry. One part of the solution is to increase the numbers studying engineering at university, and then ensure they remain within the industry afterwards.
“We also recognise the value of apprenticeships and vocational training, and encouraging young people to consider all routes into the industry is important if we’re to find the talent we need to support UK manufacturing.”
Beatrice Bartlay, founder and managing director of specialist staffing agency 2B Interface, says the government should do more to demonstrate the benefits of working in an industry where a good living can be earned and a crucial contribution to the country’s GDP made.
It’s a situation that can only be resolved if young people pursue more vocational paths, adds Bartlay.
Richard Acreman, chief executive of London technology consultancy WM360, meanwhile, called on firms to take on more graduates and rectify the skills shortage in the UK tech industry.
“This issue isn’t just about skills. There is also a shortage of roles for intelligent graduates, with computer science students topping the list of unemployed graduates last year,” says Acreman.
Bartlay adds: “There are huge opportunities for youth talent in industry. Manufacturing and construction in particular enable people to gain specialist skills, and plenty of progression opportunities for a bright career in the future.”
Bartlay says she supports the initiative for graduates and school leavers to learn vocational skills to prepare them for careers in manufacturing industry and construction which, she says, will eventually underpin the already significant growth in industries behind the recovering economy.
Greg Lettington, director at global professional recruiting group Hays Engineering, told Recruiter: “There are widely observed skills shortages in advanced manufacturing, particularly in the areas of aerospace and automotive engineering that we recruit for.
“If the UK is to retain and grow its market share in manufacturing we need to address these issues and encourage more new entrants to the industry. One part of the solution is to increase the numbers studying engineering at university, and then ensure they remain within the industry afterwards.
“We also recognise the value of apprenticeships and vocational training, and encouraging young people to consider all routes into the industry is important if we’re to find the talent we need to support UK manufacturing.”
Beatrice Bartlay, founder and managing director of specialist staffing agency 2B Interface, says the government should do more to demonstrate the benefits of working in an industry where a good living can be earned and a crucial contribution to the country’s GDP made.
It’s a situation that can only be resolved if young people pursue more vocational paths, adds Bartlay.
Richard Acreman, chief executive of London technology consultancy WM360, meanwhile, called on firms to take on more graduates and rectify the skills shortage in the UK tech industry.
“This issue isn’t just about skills. There is also a shortage of roles for intelligent graduates, with computer science students topping the list of unemployed graduates last year,” says Acreman.
Bartlay adds: “There are huge opportunities for youth talent in industry. Manufacturing and construction in particular enable people to gain specialist skills, and plenty of progression opportunities for a bright career in the future.”
Bartlay says she supports the initiative for graduates and school leavers to learn vocational skills to prepare them for careers in manufacturing industry and construction which, she says, will eventually underpin the already significant growth in industries behind the recovering economy.
