The wider UK jobs market is careful right now, so every hire matters more. Early estimates for May to July 2026 point to a small drop of 6,000 vacancies to 707,000 across the UK ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK, August 2026. There were 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy in March to May 2026, a ratio that has held steady since late 2025 ONS - Vacancies and jobs in the UK.
That backdrop doesn't mean automation hiring has stalled. Businesses took a cautious approach through 2025, but there were clear demand hotspots for specialist tech skills including AI, data, enterprise applications and cyber security Computer Weekly (tech recruitment outlook 2026). For integrators, those are exactly the skills that sit alongside control systems on a modern automation project.
The longer view is stronger still. Digital, engineering and construction occupations appear most commonly among priority occupations, many already seeing high recruitment demand and expected to keep growing GOV.UK - Skills England annual skills report 2026. Engineering also ranks among the occupations with the greatest additional employment demand between 2025 and 2030 GOV.UK - Assessment of priority skills to 2030 (Skills England).
Start with the core. Controls and automation engineers who can program PLCs, configure SCADA and commission systems on site remain the backbone of every integrator's team. Skills England places engineering firmly among the priority occupations already experiencing high recruitment demand GOV.UK - Skills England annual skills report 2026, and that demand is expected to keep growing to 2030 GOV.UK - Assessment of priority skills to 2030 (Skills England).
On top of that base, integrators want AI and data skills. Demand for AI skills increased nearly 200 percent in a year, with London accounting for 80 percent of AI-related job postings The Register (Accenture data). For automation, that shows up as machine vision, predictive maintenance and analytics that turn line data into decisions.
Cyber security is now part of the automation brief too. As lines connect to networks, someone has to secure them. The UK cyber security workforce sits at roughly 143,000 people, with growth accelerating from 2% in 2022 to 5% in 2024 Cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2025 - GOV.UK, and 70% of cyber firms reported at least one hard-to-fill vacancy AI Labour Market Survey 2025 (Gardiner & Theobald), GOV.UK / publishing.service.gov.uk. That scarcity makes secure-by-design skills valuable on any integration project.
There's also a shift in how integrators build these skills. Apprenticeships have risen from 3% of AI hires in 2020 to 19% in 2025 GOV.UK / DSIT – AI Labour Market Survey 2025 report, a route that matters as entry-level openings tighten. Adzuna has seen a 30% drop in UK entry-level job postings since ChatGPT launched techUK – What's actually happening with entry-level and graduate jobs?, so growing your own talent is one way to keep a pipeline open.
Be specific about the blend you need. A modern automation role rarely fits one label, so write the brief around the mix of controls, data and cyber skills the project actually calls for. That focus matters more when specialist skills are the demand hotspots Computer Weekly (tech recruitment outlook 2026) rather than the whole market moving at once.
Move quickly on the right people. The market is competitive for scarce skills, so a slow process loses strong applicants. Building an apprenticeship or trainee route alongside experienced hires helps, given how much that channel has grown for adjacent tech roles GOV.UK / DSIT – AI Labour Market Survey 2025 report.
Finally, look beyond London. With 80 percent of AI-related job postings concentrated in the capital The Register (Accenture data), integrators who hire regionally or offer flexible working can reach skilled people other firms overlook. A wider search widens your shortlist.
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