APPLICATIONS Britain’s manufacturing sector is facing an acute skills crisis that threatens its economic stability and global competitiveness. Despite being the world’s sixth-largest economy, the UK lags behind in adopting advanced manufacturing technologies, ranking 24th in global robot density. A lack of skilled workers is a significant barrier to progress, and the decline in apprenticeship numbers has only worsened the situation. Addressing this problem requires a strategic, long-term commitment from both government and industry to ensure that the workforce has the necessary expertise to apply emerging technologies effectively. For the past five months, Make UK’s Industrial Strategy and Skills Commission has worked with employers, educators, and policymakers to devise a plan to overhaul the vocational training landscape. The Commission has called for a ‘Skills Covenant’—a formal agreement between industry and government to increase investment in training and upskilling. This would be a crucial step in ensuring that Britain can close the skills gap, attract investment, and strengthen its industrial base. By prioritising practical applications of new technologies, businesses can ensure that workers are equipped with the skills needed to implement automation, artificial intelligence, and other emerging innovations effectively. Funding is at the heart of this issue. The Commission has identified significant sums of money that could be redirected towards skills training. It points to £800 million from unspent employer contributions to the Growth and Skills Levy—currently reallocated by the Treasury elsewhere—and £650 million raised annually from the Immigration Skills Charge. If these funds were ringfenced, they could finance the training of 40,000 new engineers, a move that would go a long way towards tackling the estimated shortfall of 55,000 engineers that is costing the UK economy £6 billion each year. This investment would ensure that workers are not just trained in theory but are able to apply their skills in real-world industrial settings. The Skills Covenant The Skills Covenant would not only 28 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS April/May 2025 www.hpmag.co.uk Bridging the skills gap to secure Britain’s industrial future Britain’s manufacturing sector faces a critical skills shortage, threatening its ability to apply emerging technologies. Make UK’s Industrial Strategy Skills Commission calls for a Skills Covenant to secure funding, strengthen industry-education ties, and equip workers with practical expertise in automation, AI, and engineering—ensuring the UK remains competitive in advanced manufacturing. H&P reports. If a dust explosion occurs in the head of this bucket elevator, the IPD system from BS&B (left) suppresses it in a fraction of a second with a chemical extinguishing agent.
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