The UK aerospace sector continues to lead the field and is still very much in demand for its engineering skills heritage.
Companies such as Airbus and Boeing are developing new models and while the emerging economies of China and India are providing a strong challenge, there are still numerous opportunities for UK companies, particularly supplying the more complex and innovative technology.
Despite the strength of the industry, skills shortages continue to hit the headlines, with the House of Commons’ Innovation, Universities and Skills Committee having just begun an inquiry into this issue across the engineering sector. Without some improvements, the lack of skilled workers will begin to affect productivity and profits – a third of engineering firms already believe that graduate skills shortages are costing money through delays in product development and recruitment costs.
The danger is that the UK’s engineering industries will lose out to emerging powers, which have both the quality and quantity of talented employees. Almost 500,000 engineering graduates emerge each year from India and China, compared to only 25,000 in the UK.
Skilled aerospace engineers are required across the board but current high demand is focused in a number of areas. Firstly, whereas the product design and engineering analysis areas continue to be active, manufacturing can also offer fantastic opportunities.
Aerospace products and systems are among the most technically complex in the UK and can, therefore, provide a challenging environment for intelligent and creative candidates. An increased level of responsibility is also being pushed down the supply chain, providing candidates with further opportunities.
Another key issue is the environmental impact of aviation and the pressure on manufacturers to develop less polluting aircraft. Employers continue to look for candidates who can develop ways of reducing the weight of aircraft, for example, people to work on composite and electric technologies.
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So where are the candidates? The largest problem is the lack of young people choosing science and engineering subjects at school and, of those who do, the lack of those who actually choose a career in the industry – some sources suggest that 30% of engineering and science graduates move into finance and commercial sectors.
Another reason for the skills shortage is the movement of engineers into other sectors, which often offer more money or more exciting opportunities. One such sector is nuclear, which is experiencing significant growth, causing a migration of aerospace employees.
Problems recruiting have also been exacerbated by prescriptive job requirements and the expectation that people should be able to hit the ground running. The demands of aerospace roles are becoming increasingly hard to fulfil, yet there can be a reluctance to provide training. There is a fear that employees will leave once trained and the investment will be wasted.
How can we find candidates? Many employers are starting to target potential future employees by working with schools and colleges. This can involve providing funding and support to undergraduates, A-level and younger students, or organising creative ways of educating them about the career opportunities in aerospace. For example, Jonathan Lee Recruitment helped the IMechE introduce its ‘Scrapheap Challenge’ event for undergraduate members.
Companies have also started looking abroad for talent using international job boards. However, it is important to be cautious due to issues around work permits, security clearance and managing employees’ welfare once they arrive.
Employers should also consider being more open-minded when it comes to job requirements. Considering employees from other sectors will not only plug certain skills gaps and relieve overworked employees; the training and development investment may also help engender loyalty.
Companies also need to ensure that they are providing the right benefits, structured career development, training and talent management in order to keep the employees they do have. This could help companies avoid spending many thousands of pounds on advertising, sourcing and interviewing recruits.
Source: Flight International
