UK manufacturers look to UK government to close engineering skills gap

The UK manufacturing industry is calling on government to step up and do more to encourage young people to consider engineering as a career and, thereby, help to close the skills gap. This is according to a new poll of over 600 industry professionals commissioned by Subcon in association with The Engineer.

The survey revealed that:

In response to the estimate that the UK needs an additional 1.8 million engineers by 2020*, government has introduced The Apprenticeship Levy, and announced £170 million worth of investment in technology institutes as part of its industrial strategy and the introduction of T-Levels. Despite this, nearly three quarters of manufacturing professionals believe government could do more, specifically with regards education.

When asked what industry and the Government can do to encourage more young people to consider manufacturing as a career, the top five answers polled were: