11.02.2025

It is no secret that access to apprenticeship and skills training provision is vital for manufacturers trying to recruit and upskill the workforces of the present and future.

With 63,000 live vacancies and more than three quarters (75.3%) of companies citing a lack of candidates with the right technical skills as the biggest barrier to successful recruitment, the challenges facing the sector are no secret either.

Though much of the immediate demand from businesses is for intermediate level-technical skills (i.e. levels 2-3), more than half of manufacturers (57%) also cite a need for higher-level technical skills.

But despite these challenges - and a 42% fall in engineering and manufacturing apprenticeship starts since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy – more than two thirds (68%) of manufacturers have managed to recruit an apprentice in the last three years - a level of engagement which continues to outperform that of other government skills programmes.

To help tackle the skills crisis and ensure that manufacturers are able to continue championing apprenticeships, Make UK are campaigning in a number of areas of skills policy, as informed by our members' insights, and are calling on the Government to:

As the Government develops the Growth and Skills Levy, Skills England should continue its engagement with employers – ensuring that policy changes reflect barriers to investment in apprenticeships and skills training across the whole system.

All money collected from employers under the Apprenticeship Levy should be allocated to skills training.

Review Level 2 and 3 standards funding bands to correct years of underfunding which has led to training provision being withdrawn, leaving employers unable to access the right training locally.

Government and Skills England must ensure that the skills training market has the support and capacity to deliver the training that employers need.

There should be financial support for apprenticeship standards that relate to existing shortage occupations – using the Immigration Salary List as a starting point – and areas of future skills demand.

Skills England’s remit to work with the Migration Advisory Committee could help make this happen.

Employers need more effective support from Government to offer industry placements to students. 

Greater flexibility in delivering these – e.g. by allowing more simulated placements – and better join-up with apprenticeships are key for improving take-up.

Many providers are struggling to fund, recruit and retain skilled tutors in engineering and manufacturing.

Government should explore how to help businesses second staff to local providers and enable retirees with industry experience to enter the further education teaching workforce on a flexible basis.

  • We’ve also established our Industrial Strategy Skills Commission, whose work in formulating a plan for the Government to tackle the skills crisis is well underway, with their final findings set to be published in April. Find out more here.