Demand for the right people is high and the gaps are expensive. 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. When energy and input costs rise, plants cannot afford to carry those gaps, because every unfilled role on a production line means output that never happens.
The pressure shows up across the sector. Manufacturers name skills shortages (75%), recruitment (36%) and talent retention (32%) as their top barriers to growth Barclays Corporate – Skills shortage in UK Manufacturing. In a higher-cost environment, hiring well is no longer a back-office task. It is how a plant protects its margins.
Energy pressure is accelerating the shift to automation and digital production, and that changes what plants ask for in a hire. 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. In plain terms, plants want people who can think, adapt and run smarter systems, not just operate a fixed machine.
Much of this is about building on the team already in place. 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. So recruitment and upskilling now sit side by side: hire for potential and adaptability, then redeploy as the plant changes.
The automation story also has a long runway, which keeps these skills in demand. 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. The International Federation of Robotics reported the UK used only 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020, substantially lagging internationally Smart Machines Strategy 2035 - GOV.UK. Plants closing that gap need engineers, technicians and digitally confident operators to do it.
Start by hiring for adaptability, because the roles themselves are moving. Over 50% 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. That tells you the right hire is often someone who can learn a new system quickly, rather than someone who already ticks every box on day one.
A few practical moves help. Write job descriptions around outcomes and problem-solving, not a fixed list of machines. Pair every hire with a clear upskilling path, so a new technician can grow into automation and digital work. And move quickly: with 55,000 long-term vacancies open across the sector Make UK – Industrial Strategy Skills Commission Report 2025, a slow process risks losing the few people who fit. Speed and a strong candidate experience protect both output and retention.
This is where we help. We search a database of 15 million candidates to find people with the technical, digital and adaptable skills your plant needs now, and we manage the process end to end, from a ranked shortlist through to a booked interview. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you are recruiting for a plant facing cost pressure, you can start hiring with Reed.ai today.
