Defence engineering in the North West today

The demand for talented engineering professionals in the UK continues to grow as the sector expands. More specifically, the defence industry is rapidly developing today; to respond to the contested and volatile world we find ourselves in, the UK Government recently launched the 2023 Integrated Review Refresh (IR23). The initiative should provide an additional £5 billion to the Ministry of Defence over the next two years and increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP in the longer term.

Notably, the North West plays a crucial role in the UK defence sector and is a hub for many engineering organisations. Global defence business BAE Systems run all their submarine development projects from the seaport of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and the MBDA Missile Systems factory in Bolton, Greater Manchester, created jobs for approximately 800 engineering professionals.

Where we are seeing growth in the engineering sector is the involvement and the expansion of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), which are an important part of the UK defence industry and support a variety of high-quality jobs.

Whilst there are many career opportunities in this expanding industry, majority of engineering and manufacturing employers (96%) experienced skills shortages last year, as revealed in our UK 2023 Salary and Recruiting Trends guide. Considering talent is scarce and the skills gap is set to continue, we must adopt the appropriate methods to support upskilling into the sector.

To attract more individuals into engineering, attention needs to be paid to improving STEM education. According to the IR23, the UK educated nearly 900 students across 70 Defence Strategic Command courses from 107 countries, in 2021 and 2022. Despite this, we’re losing young people to more typically appealing sectors and there’s a decline in those coming out of school, college and university with engineering related skills, qualifications and experiences.

Organisations can overcome this by investing in apprenticeship schemes, for instance, to help encourage young people into engineering. BAE Systems are passionate about providing young people with the skills they need to achieve their full potential; they announced plans to recruit more than 2,600 new apprentices and graduates in 2023, with roles based in Samlesbury and Warton in Lancashire and Barrow.

As well as improving entry-level access into engineering, raising awareness about the crucial role defence plays in the world at large, and the exciting opportunities available within the sector, will urge more people to take an interest in the area and potentially embark on an engineering career pathway. An important message to share is that the industry is focused on defence, rather than attack, to protect and defend our sovereignty, people and troops.

Overcoming skills shortages is about tapping into a range of talent pools. At Hays, we have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, we recruit ex-military personnel who tend to be highly qualified and trained but may struggle to find employment for a number of reasons. Engineering employers should recognise this opportunity to access their skills and talent.

The importance of soft skills for success within the defence sector should not be overlooked, with communication and interpersonal skills cited in our salary guide as the most in-demand soft skill for engineering employers (59%) followed by an ability to learn (49%). The ability to problem-solve, make decisions and work well in a team are also imperative in the sector.

There are several engineering roles in demand today, including systems engineers, electronic engineers and data analytics engineers. However, flexible working has moved high up on the agenda for professionals, so employers should consider offering this way of working, where possible in light of security clearances, to attract and retain talent.

The North West will continue to be a prominent base for the UK defence sector but in order to innovate and thrive even further in the future, organisations must prioritise facing skills shortages head on and inspiring the next generation of engineers.