Recruits lack work ethic to succeed in industry

Lack of practical skills among apprentices and graduates holds back companies, says survey

Almost 40% of manufacturing firms have said that apprentices, graduates and recruits lack the work ethic to succeed in industry. That's one of the key results of a survey of 1,000 British companies by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Those quizzed said that 57% of apprentices, graduates and new recruits do not have practical skills, and 42% said they lacked communication skills. Other skills flagged by more than a third of manufacturers as inadequate among new starters include design, maths and science.

Philippa Oldham, head of manufacturing at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “Having a good work ethic along with good skills in maths and science is fundamental to success in manufacturing so it is hugely concerning that so many manufacturers have highlighted this as an issue.”

Even with high unemployment levels, manufacturers are still finding it difficult to recruit across all levels of their businesses, according to the report. Top of the list of positions that are difficult to fill are design engineers, with 60% of those polled struggling to find potential employees. More than a third of those surveyed also report difficulty in recruiting product specialists and people with production skills.

The survey also reported that 20% of manufacturers are bringing manufacturing back to the UK from abroad, known as re-shoring. Among the reasons given for this are shipping and energy costs.

At the same time, 28% of companies quizzed are sending manufacturing overseas. Almost two thirds of respondents said that uncertainty surrounding the future of the UK and the EU is having a negative effect on manufacturing, up from 53% in the survey a year earlier.

Oldham said: “There have been lots of reports about UK manufacturers re-shoring but our survey shows that more companies are offshoring their manufacturing. This shows that government needs to do more to reinforce the technical and economic benefits of localised manufacturing.”

She added: “These survey results give a real warning to the UK. If we are to be internationally competitive and help rebalance our economy we need manufacturers to be producing products for new markets and to increase our exports to developing nations.”