South: EEF report highlights lack of skilled manufacturing staff

A new report by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, indicates that 73% of manufacturers have faced difficulties recruiting skilled workers in the last three years. The report comes at a time when industry bosses expect a significant increase in the demand for skills during the next three years.

The issue is one of both quantity and quality. Firms report they are having to contend with a lack of technical skills (67%), an insufficient number of applicants (64%) and a lack of relevant experience (61%).

The number of “hard-to-fill” vacancies in manufacturing remains static and stubbornly high at 35%.

The report indicates that manufacturers are fighting back by offering competitive salaries (84%) and training and development opportunities (50%).  79% are planning to recruit manufacturing and engineering apprentices in the next 12 months.

But it also warns that the problem is putting productivity and the UK’s ability to be a power player in the digital industrial revolution at risk because the Government has failed to get to grips with the skills crunch affecting manufacturers.

Jim Davison, South East Region director at EEF, commented: “Despite multiple warnings about the UK’s yawning skills gap, the dial hasn’t moved since 2012. Manufacturers continue to struggle to find the right people with the right skills – undoubtedly this has led to lost opportunities for employers, would-be employees and the UK economy.”

The report makes a number of recommendations. It says that in the short-term, the main priority should be to scrap the proposed immigration skills charge, and to introduce grants to tackle under-representation in apprenticeships. Mid-term it says the Institute for Apprenticeships should identify gaps in provision and capital funding for further education and the roll-out of National Colleges should follow employer demand. Long-term, it recommends targets for secondary schools for the number of Key Stage 4 pupils going on to apprenticeships.