‘If we don’t, who will?’: The engineering boss working to reverse the apprenticeship decline

A Midlands boss is leading a national drive to support young engineers as apprenticeship numbers continue to fall across the UK. Matt Fletcher, managing director of Fletcher Moorland, has distributed hundreds of professional toolkits to apprentices and aspiring engineers nationwide, arguing that early commitment and practical support are vital to rebuilding the talent pipeline.

Engineering apprenticeships have declined sharply since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017. Level 2 (intermediate) starts have dropped by 52%, according to EngineeringUK, while new manufacturing apprentices have fallen from 11,670 in 2018/19 to 2,330 in 2023/24 – an 80% drop in five years.

Completion rates are also a concern. Analysis of Department for Education data shows that only around 56% of mechanical engineering apprentices who started in 2024/25 successfully completed their programme, despite strong industry demand for those skills.

For Fletcher, the figures represent more than a workforce challenge. “When we talk about the future of British manufacturing, we often start with technology – automation, AI, digitalisation,” he says. “But none of that works unless people believe they belong here and have a future here. Belief comes before skills.”

Established in 1946 by Fletcher’s grandfather, Fletcher Moorland employs 120 people and specialises in the repair and refurbishment of machinery, motors and automation technology.

Fletcher says the same long-term mindset that drives the company’s approach to engineering – restoring and extending the life of equipment rather than replacing it – also underpins his commitment to developing young talent. His philosophy crystallised four years ago after a 16-year-old student approached the business asking for work experience.

“This young man really impressed me. He just wanted a chance,” says Fletcher. At the end of his placement, the teenager, who was studying maths and physics at A-level, was unsure whether engineering was the right path. That changed when Fletcher gifted him a professional toolkit.

“That moment sparked something in me,” the boss recalls. “I was 16 once, borrowing other people’s tools – then I got my own. It was exciting, that feeling of: ‘This is mine, this is for my future.’ It gave me independence. And that’s what I wanted to pass on. The sense that you’re not borrowing someone else’s world; you’re building your own.

“When I handed him that toolkit, I saw what it meant. It said someone believes in you; now believe in yourself.”

That experience led to the creation of Get Tooled Up, an initiative Fletcher has run for the past four years to support aspiring engineers. Each month, apprentices and students can enter a draw via LinkedIn to receive a set of professional tools, ranging from starter kits to full cabinets. Individuals can nominate themselves or be nominated by managers, mentors and friends.

What began as a self-funded gesture has grown into a national scheme that has distributed more than 300 toolkits. After covering the cost himself for the first two years, Fletcher secured backing from Beta Tools, allowing it to expand its reach and scale.

Running the initiative has also shaped Fletcher’s views on how early careers are framed. “How many times do we hear: ‘You’ve got to start at the bottom’?” he says. “If you tell someone they’re at the bottom, it devalues what they’re doing. You’re not at the bottom; you’re at your beginning. It’s the start of your journey.”

Fletcher remains in contact with many of the recipients, offering guidance and additional training. He says none of the apprentices who have received tools through the scheme have dropped out of their programmes.

“We can’t always find the engineers we need in the marketplace. We have to grow them ourselves,” he says. “Yes, that carries a risk. You invest in people and they might move on, but that’s life. You don’t raise children expecting them never to leave home. You give them what they need to thrive.”

The young engineer who inspired Get Tooled Up was later offered a permanent position and remains with the company. One small act of encouragement can spark a career.

“Until we eliminate friction and inaction, there will always be a job for someone working with their hands – and they need tools in those hands,” Fletcher concludes. “Invest in belief; everything else comes from that. If we don't build the workforce Britain needs, who will?”