Skills Shortage – up to 5000 Automotive jobs vacant in the UK

We have been reporting for some time now, as recruiters for the automotive industry, that the job market has become candidate driven.  The latest SMMT report highlights the skills and vacancy requirements within the automotive industry and how this impacts on businesses looking to recruit and fill jobs.

Up to 5,000 job vacancies in the UK automotive industry could be vacant due to a skills shortage affecting the sector, according to a new report published today by the Automotive Council.

• Up to 5,000 current vacancies in the automotive industry causing significant impact on business operations.
• Groundbreaking new Automotive Council report sets out skills requirements for UK automotive sector, with engineers most difficult to recruit.
• UK automotive industry workforce now the most productive in Europe – but growth potential could be undermined by lack of new talent.

The SMMT report which was developed by automotive industry consultants SMMT Industry Forum on behalf of the Automotive Industrial Partnership, surveys a range of British-based automotive firms, from vehicle manufacturers to component suppliers, to identify the areas of employment most difficult to recruit, and provide an important means for industry and government to tackle the skills issue. Around 19% of the unfilled vacancies cited in the report are identified as ‘critical’ and having a significant impact on company operations.

Of the top 10 job types for which recruitment is most difficult, the majority are in engineering – with the top two in-demand roles being design and production engineers. The knock-on effect, according to the report, is that companies are hiring temporary contractors and increasingly recruiting from abroad.

The renaissance of the UK automotive industry since the recession has brought significant success to the sector and helped to sustain just under 800,000 jobs across Britain. 2015 was the best year in a decade for car production with 1.59 million vehicles built, and volumes are forecast to reach an all-time record two million by 2020. The UK also achieved notable success in productivity levels, which have increased 40% since 2010 to make UK labour productivity the highest in Europe. But this success could be undermined by the lack of skilled engineers to fill new jobs, despite efforts made by companies to increase training and apprenticeships.

To view the full report click http://www.smmt.co.uk/2016/02/5000-jobs-vacant-in-uk-automotive-due-to-skills-shortage/

To assist in recruiting within the automotive, engineering or allied industries contact our specialist Recruitment team at Glen Callum Associates – Leading Automotive Recruitment Agency.  Telephone 01384 485274 or email jobs@glencallum.co.uk