The picture is clear, and it is about people more than machines. 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. So the technology is ready. The teams, in most cases, are not yet.
That gap is widening at a moment when the opportunity is large. 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. Low adoption is echoed elsewhere: UK utilisation of industrial robots substantially lags internationally, using only 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020, citing the International Federation of Robotics Smart Machines Strategy 2035 - GOV.UK.
Meanwhile the cost of standing still is measurable. 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. Skills shortages sit at the top of the list of barriers to growth, named by 75% of manufacturers, ahead of recruitment at 36% and talent retention at 32% Barclays Corporate – Skills shortage in UK Manufacturing.
Automation and digitalisation are reshaping what manufacturers need from their people. 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, that means problem-solving, judgement and the ability to work alongside new systems matter more than ever.
Firms are responding by growing talent from within as well as hiring. 40% of manufacturers are looking 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 Make UK Executive Survey 2026. Upskilling and recruiting are two sides of the same plan, not alternatives.
The demand picture reaches well beyond the factory floor. Across AI-related occupations, the net change ranges from approximately 696,000 jobs in an automation scenario to 1,072,000 in a technological opportunities scenario, with replacement demand rising from 3,077,000 to 3,193,000 jobs AI Skills for Life and Work: Labour market and skills projections - GOV.UK. National training is scaling to meet it: a partnership announced during London Tech Week 2025 aims to upskill 7.5 million UK workers in essential AI skills by 2030, around 20% of the workforce techUK.
Start with the capability you want to build, not the tool you want to buy. With over 50% of manufacturers naming skills as the main barrier to AI adoption The Manufacturer / Make UK – AI, Skills and the Future of UK Manufacturing, your hiring plan should map directly to the automation projects on your roadmap. Define what success looks like on the line, then work back to the roles that deliver it.
Blend buying and building. Since 40% of manufacturers plan to upskill and redeploy existing staff Make UK Executive Survey 2026, treat external hires as a way to seed new skills your current team can learn from. Hire for the cognitive and meta-cognitive skills that 74% of firms expect to need by 2030 Make UK – 2030 Skills: Closing the Gap: curiosity, adaptability and the confidence to work with systems that keep changing.
When you are ready to hire, we search a database of 15 million people to find the right match for your automation and digital roles, and we rank a shortlist in under 30 seconds. We manage recruitment end to end, from first match to a booked interview, so your team stays focused on the work. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. Try Reed.ai for your next automation hire and see the shortlist for yourself.
