The UK has room to grow when it comes to factory automation, and that gap is turning into jobs. The Smart Machines Strategy 2035, published on GOV.UK reports that the UK used only 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020, substantially behind international peers. End-of-line tasks like palletising are often the first cell a manufacturer automates, so demand for the people who install and support these systems is rising from a low base.
Skills, not hardware, are the real bottleneck. Make UK research reported by The Manufacturer found that 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. That tells us the appetite is there. What's missing is the talent to turn a palletising business case into a working line.
The pressure is wider than one sector. the Make UK Industrial Strategy Skills Commission Report 2025 counted 55,000 unfilled long-term vacancies in UK manufacturing in 2025, costing the economy £6bn in lost output every year. Integrator roles sit right in the middle of that shortfall.
Palletising cells pull in a specific mix of people: robot programmers, controls and PLC engineers, mechanical designers, commissioning engineers and field service technicians. Each one spans both the factory floor and the software behind it, which is exactly the blend employers now want.
The trends back this up. Make UK's 2030 Skills: Closing the Gap report found that 59% of manufacturers cited automation and 50% cited wider digitalisation as trends changing jobs and skills needs, while 74% expect demand for cognitive and meta-cognitive skills to increase by 2030. Palletising integration rewards exactly those problem-solving skills, because no two end-of-line layouts are identical.
Retention matters too. Barclays Corporate research on the skills shortage in UK manufacturing lists manufacturers' top barriers to growth as skills shortages (75%), recruitment (36%) and talent retention (32%). For integrators, that means keeping experienced engineers is as important as finding new ones.
Start by hiring for adaptability over a fixed tool list. The AI Adoption Research published on GOV.UK notes that sectors like retail and logistics were already integrating AI to streamline functions such as inventory management and supply chains, so the people you bring in today will work across robotics, vision systems and data within a few years. Look for engineers who learn fast.
Build a route for your current team, not just an external search. the Make UK Executive Survey 2026 found that 40% of manufacturers are looking to upskill their existing workforce for redeployment as a result of automation and digitalisation, and that figure rises for firms with more than 1,000 employees. A maintenance technician who already knows your line can often retrain into a commissioning role faster than a new hire can learn your product.
Then move quickly and describe the work clearly. Name the robot brands, the control systems and the type of end-of-line projects on offer. Good automation engineers are scarce, so a vague advert loses them to a sharper one. Be specific, and be fast.
We search a database of 15 million candidates to find the robot programmers, controls engineers and commissioning specialists who build palletising cells, and we rank a shortlist in under 30 seconds so you can start talking to the right people today. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost, through Reed.ai. Tell us about your next automation vacancy and we'll get started.
