It’s no secret that the UK is suffering from a severe skills shortage in the manufacturing industry. A British Chamber of Commerce survey of 6,000 manufacturing businesses across the country found that, during the final quarter of 2018, 81% of manufacturers had trouble finding the staff with the right qualifications and experience.
And this skills shortage is not a new issue, either. The Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF) has the vacancies in the sector it deems ‘hard to fill’ standing at 29%, which has barely shifted from where it was in 2013 when it stood at 30%.
The future is not forecast to get any better. With Brexit uncertainty dominating the news, it creates more concern for the future of recruitment. The House of Commons Manufacturing: Statistics and Policy (2018) state that 13% of the manufacturing industry employees is made up of EU nationals, and the EEF found that 79% of manufacturers currently have at least one EU national working in their business.
With such a drastic shortage of needed skilled workers, could apprenticeships be the answer?
Understanding the skills gap
The Employer Skills Survey (2017) found that manufacturing has a particular issue with recruitment, citing a 36% skills gap is being caused by an inability to recruit staff with the required skills. Nearly four out of ten manufacturing skills gaps (39%) could be attributed to deficiencies in instructing, teaching or training, higher than the overall average for other sectors. Staff in manufacturing were also found to be lacking in specialist skills or knowledge required to perform their role (56% compared with 47% across all sectors). It also found that 38% of manufacturing companies surveyed had had their operating costs driven up as a result of this shortage.
The problems don’t just persist with current employees, either. EEF found in their research that the quality of candidates applying for a role was also a big issue, with over two-thirds of manufacturers claiming that their applicants lack the necessary technical skills. Additionally, there is a huge disparity when it comes to young people in the industry. Around 40% of manufacturers say that 40% of their workers are over the age of 50, and whilst they are keen to keep hold of these workers with the right skill set, there is certainly a growing need to attract the next generation to eventually take their place.
Apprenticeships provide invaluable skills
The EEF survey highlighted the growing need for talented apprentices to be taken on. Almost three-quarters (72%) of companies are planning to recruit apprentices this year compared to 66% in 2014. In contrast, the number planning to recruit graduates has fallen dramatically to 34% compared to 66% in 2014.
This shift in what employers are looking for can be attributed to the need to ensure those specialist skills are guaranteed for the future. It highlights a vital need to meet the current skills shortages at craft and technical level by bringing in fresh, young talent. With this lack of technical skills continuing to drive recruitment problems, apprenticeships could be the saving grace needed to fix the problem.
Almost half of the manufacturing companies surveyed by EEF expect between 11% - 20% of their workforce to retire in the next decade, so the need for young people to enter into the industry and learn the necessary skills is more important than ever.
Apprenticeships play a pivotal role in preparing the next generation of skilled workers, whilst giving companies the opportunity to strengthen and diversify their workforce. They offer substantial training and the development of transferable skills. The one-to-one mentoring that apprenticeships offer on the job, combined with hands-on experience, not only develops the individual on the apprenticeship but the manufacturing industry as a whole.
Apprenticeships bring a fantastic opportunity for young people and for companies to attract budding new talent. Apprenticeships offer progression and have the potential to develop a motivated, qualified and highly skilled workforce.
Developing the next generation
“At European Springs, we are a keen supporter of apprenticeships, and we’re committed to doing our part to fix the manufacturing skills shortage by taking on apprentices of our own to address the UK’s productivity gap. Our five new apprentices launched their learning with us back in September 2018; aged 16 – 19, they are studying BTEC level 3 in Engineering Operations and Maintenance with an accompanying NVQ in Mechanical Engineering, which follows the nationally recognised Mechanical Manufacturing Apprenticeship Framework.”
“Bringing in this new talent from different backgrounds creates a diverse and dynamic workforce, and we hope that they will strive to get the very most out of this experience,” says Simon Taylor, sales manager at European Springs & Pressings.
Having spent a decade in the fastener industry experiencing every facet – from steel mills, fastener manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, as well as machinery builders and plating + coating companies, Claire has developed an in-depth knowledge of all things fasteners.
Alongside visiting numerous companies, exhibitions and conferences around the world, Claire has also interviewed high profile figures – focusing on key topics impacting the sector and making sure readers stay up to date with the latest developments within the industry.
