Automation is no longer a side project. Six in ten (59%) manufacturers cite automation, and half (50%) cite wider digitalisation, as the trends reshaping jobs and skills by 2030, according to Make UK's 2030 Skills: Closing the Gap report. That tells us something clear: the question for most factories is no longer whether to automate, but how fast, and who runs the machines once they arrive.
Here's the catch. The UK starts from a low base. It ranks just 24th in global robotics density, and targeted innovation and digital investment could add £150 billion to the UK's GDP by 2035, Make UK's Making it Smarter report finds. The gap is also a growth opportunity, and the firms that close it will need people to install, programme and maintain all that new kit.
The scale of the lag is stark. The International Federation of Robotics reported that UK utilisation of industrial robots substantially trails other countries, at just 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020, as set out in the Government's Smart Machines Strategy 2035. More robots mean more demand, not less, for the skilled people who keep lines running.
As robots arrive, the work shifts up a level. 74% of manufacturers expect demand for cognitive and meta-cognitive skills to increase by 2030, Make UK's 2030 Skills report shows. In plain terms, that means problem-solving, data literacy and the ability to learn fast, the skills that sit around automated equipment rather than compete with it.
Firms are also looking inward first. 40% of manufacturers plan to upskill their existing workforce, specifically for redeployment as a result of automation and digitalisation, and that figure rises for firms with more than 1,000 employees, according to the Make UK Executive Survey 2026. So the roles in demand include robotics technicians, maintenance engineers, controls and automation specialists, and the trainers who help existing staff move into them.
The pattern is consistent: automation changes jobs rather than erasing the need for people. With 59% of manufacturers naming automation as a trend reshaping skills, Make UK's 2030 Skills report points to a hiring brief built around adaptability as much as technical depth.
Start with the skills, not the job title. Because 74% of manufacturers expect demand for cognitive skills to rise by 2030, Make UK's 2030 Skills report suggests screening for how someone thinks and learns, not only the systems they have used before. A strong problem-solver often adapts to new equipment faster than a narrow specialist.
Pair hiring with upskilling. With 40% of manufacturers planning to redeploy existing staff as automation lands, the Make UK Executive Survey 2026 shows the smartest plans mix external hires with internal moves. Map the roles your new robots create, then decide which you fill from the market and which you grow from within.
Given how far the UK trails at 101 robots per 10,000 workers, the Smart Machines Strategy 2035 makes the case that early movers gain an edge, and getting the right people in first is a big part of that edge.
This is where we come in. We search a database of 15 million people to find the robotics technicians, maintenance engineers and automation specialists your lines need, and we rank a shortlist in seconds. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you're planning your next automation hire, tell us the role and let us surface your shortlist today.
