When it comes to determining whether the UK has enough engineers to do the jobs it needs, there is no shortage of surveys that suggest it has to do a lot more to get them. Based on data from the British Chambers of Commerce, the Open University concluded in June 2022 that almost 90 per cent of large employers and more than two-thirds of small and medium-sized enterprises are facing skills shortages. The majority of employers said the shortages are piling pressure on staff and reducing output and profitability. In engineering specifically, the 2021 Skills Survey conducted by the IET found two-thirds of those questioned reported gaps they were having trouble filling.
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, there were clear shortages according to several bodies and that has grown worse in the wake of Brexit causing both a fall in sterling that made wages less competitive and ultimately resulting in the UK leaving the EU’s free-movement zone, forcing all skilled...