54 n SKILLS July/August 2025 www.drivesncontrols.com Securing a future workforce for UK manufacturing Since 1969, SEW-Eurodrive UK has had a base in West Yorkshire. We’re proud to have a talented workforce made up of skilled people who have been vital to the continued growth and success of the business. While we’re lucky to have an experienced team – many of whom have been with us for well over 15 years – we’re now facing the challenge of replacing highly-skilled staff who are planning to retire. From the need to transfer knowledge, to the potential of skills shortages among new people coming in, we have to be certain that our operations will be able to thrive from generation to generation. This means we need to explore every avenue to fill skills gaps, collaborating with the wider manufacturing sector to ensure our workforce is secured both now and into the future. Unearthing talent and discovering people who want to build a career is a big challenge. Finding young people who want to enter the manufacturing and engineering sector can be difficult, especially when glamourous white-collar jobs in big cities can seem more attractive. But for those who are keen to forge handson careers, it's important that we create a positive perception of working in engineering. At SEW-Eurodrive, we’re keen to push learning through our DriveAcademy training, helping to introduce young people to the world of gears and drive automation, and to show them just how much of the world our technology can power. We encourage visits from schools and colleges in the local area – particularly ones that our staff members have attended – so we can have generations who are all familiar with the company. Helping young people build up the skills they need is a huge part of future recruitment, and this needs to start at the school level. Some of the biggest gaps in skills are in digital technologies and automation. Many industries are adopting these technologies to improve efficiencies and to enhance their outputs, so it’s important that young people have these skills from the outset. The most critical skill though is one which can’t be taught – the desire and aptitude to improve, learn and progress. Those hungry to succeed and grow are the ones who can help the manufacturing and engineering industries to flourish. Changing aspirations Historically, once people had established careers in engineering, they strived to progress to white-collar roles. This was a path I followed myself – having started my career as an apprentice engineer, before working my way up to my current role as operations director. However, attitudes to blue- and whitecollar jobs are starting to change. Those in senior blue-collar roles can now earn good salaries, while having job security from the AI-driven technologies that are eating into many roles, especially those based around data analysis and content creation. While it’s great that blue-collar roles are now more attractive, the change from the traditional career trajectory makes it difficult to recruit future leaders. It's important that senior management teams contain people who have worked their way up and “got the t-shirt”, making decisions informed by in-depth practical knowledge. This can only be done by helping blue-collar workers to progress. This means ensuring that white-collar roles are attractive to enter too – offering better salaries, clear progression pathways and assurances that work-life balance can be maintained. As an industry, we need to ensure that skilled and talented people progress into senior roles so that the next generation can learn the same skills and build their own careers. Beyond recruitment, new technologies are enabling manufacturers and engineers to fill gaps in their labour forces. With recent ONS data revealing that nearly one third of UK businesses are experiencing labour shortages, AI and robotics are a huge development for manufacturing, engineering and logistics. While robots are no replacement for humans, they’re a great help for businesses that can’t find the right people, cutting labour costs and helping to avoid downtime. Automation means reduced workloads on staff, in turn building happier teams of people more likely to stay and pursue careers in the industry. When technology is used alongside good skills provisions and attractive employment pathways, we can ensure that the industry has the helping hands it needs to grow, while knowledge is passed down through the generations. Collaboration is at the heart of seeing this through and securing the future of industry for years to come. n Andy Turner, operations director at SEW-Eurodrive UK, offers suggestions on how to combat the recruitment challenges faced by the manufacturing sector in the UK. SEW-Eurodrive’s Andy Turner: we need to explore every avenue to fill skills gaps
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=