Automation is reshaping where the jobs are, and breweries sit right inside that shift. Over half of manufacturers cite skills shortages as the main barrier to AI adoption, and only 2% say AI is widely embedded across their operations The Manufacturer / Make UK – AI, Skills and the Future of UK Manufacturing. So the technology is arriving faster than the people who run it.
That gap is not small. Six in ten (59%) manufacturers cited automation and half (50%) cited wider digitalisation as trends changing jobs and skills needs, and 74% expect demand for cognitive and meta-cognitive skills to increase by 2030 Make UK – 2030 Skills: Closing the Gap. For a brewery adding automated bottling, fermentation controls or packaging robotics, that means new engineering work rather than fewer jobs.
There is room to grow, too. The UK ranks just 24th in global robotics density, and targeted innovation and digital investment could add £150 billion to the UK's GDP by 2035 Making it Smarter: Global Lessons for Accelerating Automation and Digital Adoption in UK Manufacturing - Make UK. UK utilisation of industrial robots substantially lags internationally, using only 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020 Smart Machines Strategy 2035 - GOV.UK. As that figure rises, so does demand for the engineers behind it.
Think controls engineers, automation technicians, maintenance engineers, data and systems specialists, and sustainability-focused process roles. Demand is already sharp: 76% of engineering employers struggle to recruit for key roles, with technical and specialist sustainability skills topping the list Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Breweries chasing cleaner, more efficient production need exactly those people.
The pipeline needs attention. In engineering, entry-level hiring has fallen to -19% while senior hiring sits at -10%, a 9-percentage-point gap GOV.UK - A snapshot of entry-level hiring in the UK. That gap is a warning: if we do not bring new people in now, the shortage deepens. The demand itself is clear, as digital, engineering and construction occupations appear most commonly among priority occupations, many already experiencing high recruitment demand and expected to keep growing strongly GOV.UK - Skills England annual skills report 2026.
The cost of standing still is real. In 2025 there were 55,000 unfilled long-term vacancies in UK manufacturing, costing the economy £6bn in lost output every year Make UK – Industrial Strategy Skills Commission Report 2025. Every open controls or maintenance role on a brewery line is part of that number.
Start by widening the pool and growing talent from within. 40% of manufacturers are looking to upskill their existing workforce, specifically for redeployment as a result of automation and digitalisation, and this figure increases for firms with more than 1,000 employees Make UK Executive Survey 2026. Promoting a packaging operator into a controls technician role is often faster than searching cold.
Then plan hiring against real demand. Occupations in digital, adult social care, construction and engineering have the greatest additional employment demand between 2025 and 2030 GOV.UK - Assessment of priority skills to 2030 (Skills England). Competition for engineers will not ease soon, so move quickly and keep your process tight. It helps to know the blockers: manufacturers' top barriers to growth are skills shortages (75%), recruitment (36%) and talent retention (32%) Barclays Corporate – Skills shortage in UK Manufacturing.
Practical steps: write job adverts around the automation skills you actually need, not a wish list; offer clear progression from technician to engineer; and shortlist on potential as well as experience, so you can train the rest. Speed matters, because the strongest engineers rarely stay on the market long.
When you are ready to hire, we can help you move fast and find the right person. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. It is free for candidates. If a brewery is adding automated lines and needs controls, maintenance or data engineers, we can surface a ranked shortlist in seconds and keep the process moving. Start hiring with Reed.ai today.
