12.11.2025

If you can’t hire the skills, build them 

Finding people with the right skills is getting harder.  

Seventy-four per cent of manufacturers say their biggest recruitment challenge is a lack of technical skills. That figure has risen seven points since last quarter and three points over the year. 

This shortage in new recruits affects productivity, innovation and growth across every part of the sector. Employers have gone from competing for talent, to competing for the right capability. 

Skills gaps are widening 

Manufacturers report the same obstacles across all regions and company sizes. There are too few qualified applicants, and not enough candidates with the right mix of technical and people skills. 

While recruitment is slowing, the pressure on capability is rising. Many businesses are rethinking how they develop talent internally, strengthen leadership and retain experienced employees. 

The message is clear. If you cannot hire the skills you need, you must build them. 

What employers should do next 

  1. Invest in learning and development: Start with your existing workforce and focus on technical training, leadership development and continuous learning to build capability from within.
  2. Define what good looks like: Use competency frameworks to set clear expectations for every role. This helps identify skills gaps and gives employees a path for progression.
  3. Strengthen management capability: Give line managers the knowledge and confidence to lead effectively. Upskilling managers in HR and employment law improves retention and reduces conflict in the workplace.
  4. Create career pathways: Link apprenticeships, mentoring and graduate programmes to succession planning. Developing future talent internally is often faster and more sustainable than external hiring.
  5. Reward fairly and strategically: Review your pay and reward structures to stay competitive without driving up costs. Fairness and clarity still matter more than the size of the increase. 

How Make UK can help 

We help manufacturers close the skills gap by building capability from within. Our support includes: 

  • Talent management through leadership development, mentoring, psychometric testing and graduate programmes.
  • Building skills in HR and Employment Law to give line managers the confidence to lead, manage and retain people effectively.
  • Competency frameworks that define the skills needed in every role.
  • Apprenticeships and learning programmes that connect classroom training with workplace practice.
  • Pay and reward consultancy to align pay structures with performance and retention goals. 

We work with employers to turn skill shortages into opportunities for growth, and make sure teams are ready for the future. 

If you want support building the skills your business needs, get in touch. Email [email protected] or call 0808 168 5874.