Skill Shortage Worsens in the UK. The economic uncertainty around the in/out referendum for the European Union is not helping recruitment in the United Kingdom. According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) employers are showing reticence in hiring and will continue to hold back until after the vote on June 23rd. They warn that there is a shortage of skilled workers across nearly ever sector and the most badly affected is engineering.
The Head of the REC Kevin Green said “Whatever happens post 23rd June, we need to ensure a sensible approach to immigration is taken, so that employers have access to the people they need. Sourcing workers from outside the UK is going to be an ongoing necessity if we are to continue seeing the British economy grow”
The biggest shortfall last month was for engineers. Design engineers and engineering specialists in rail and traffic were in particularly short supply. Demand for these skills has increased by 9% as compared to the same time last year said the REC.
This is not a new problem, these shortages have been well documented in the past. The Royal Academy of Engineering has warned that there will be a shortfall of 1.8 million engineers over the next decade. British inventor, James Dyson, has been very outspoken on this subject and described the situation a a “suicidal shortage” voicing the fears of many that without intervention the lack of high level engineering skills will severely damage the UK’s reputation as innovators.
