An assessment of skill needs in engineering

Skills Dialogues constitute a series of consultations with all major industrial and business sectors in the UK, generating high quality authoritative skills assessments for each of these broad sectors. Their purpose is to improve the quality of information available on skills at sector level and to provide an effective means for national training organisations (NTOs) and employers to contribute to the planning and implementation of education and training provision in their sector. This report is the result of the Engineering Sector Skills Dialogue and provides an assessment of trends in employment and skill needs and associated issues in the engineering sector. The introductory chapter provides details of the scope and coverage of the dialogue and describes the context, main economic trends and other factors influencing engineering skill requirements. Chapter two contains a discussion of the evidence on trends in demand for engineering skills and chapter three examines the supply and availability of such skills. Chapter four investigates the main demand-supply imbalances. The key messages are: (1) there is still a strong demand for engineering skills in the UK economy despite the long-term decline in much of engineering manufacturing; (2) there is particular demand in the fast-growing electronics and telecommunications industries; (3) a number of engineering employers are experiencing difficulty in recruiting staff mainly because of a shortage of people with relevant skills and experience; (4) skill shortages are apparent at all levels but particularly at the higher end of the occupational spectrum; and (5) the main skill gaps are in specific technical and practical skill areas but personal and generic skills are also in short supply. Show less