The gap is practical, not theoretical. 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, according to The Manufacturer / Make UK – AI, Skills and the Future of UK Manufacturing. That tells us the bottleneck sits with people and capability, not with the technology itself.
There's a clear push to close that gap. During London Tech Week 2025, the UK government announced a partnership to upskill 7.5 million UK workers in essential AI skills by 2030, equivalent to around 20% of the UK workforce, techUK. Employers aren't standing still either: 40% of manufacturers are looking to upskill their existing workforce 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.
The shape of the work is shifting fast. 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 lean automation department, that means problem-solving, judgement and the ability to learn fast matter as much as any single tool on a CV.
Entry routes are broadening too. Apprenticeships have risen from 3% of AI hires in 2020 to 19% in 2025, GOV.UK / DSIT – AI Labour Market Survey 2025 report. When nearly one in five AI hires now comes through an apprenticeship, screening purely on degrees and job titles quietly shuts out a growing pool of capable people.
Start with the work, not the job title. Write down the three or four things this person has to deliver in their first six months, then define the skills those tasks demand. In a small team, every hire covers more ground, so you're looking for range and adaptability as much as deep specialism.
Test for the skill directly. A short, practical task that mirrors a real problem tells you more than a polished CV. Keep the brief tight, judge the thinking as well as the output, and be open to people from apprenticeships, upskilling routes and adjacent roles. With over half of manufacturers naming skills shortages as the main barrier to AI adoption, The Manufacturer / Make UK – AI, Skills and the Future of UK Manufacturing, widening your criteria is often the fastest way to fill a seat with the right person.
Finally, move quickly and keep the process clear. Lean teams can't afford long, vague hiring cycles. Define the skills, assess them consistently, and give every applicant a prompt answer so good people don't drift elsewhere.
We built our AI recruitment agent to make skills-first hiring the default. We search a database of 15 million candidates, match people on the capabilities your role actually needs, and hand you a ranked shortlist so you can focus on the few who fit. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If your automation team needs its next hire, start your search with Reed.ai today.
