5,000 jobs vacant in UK automotive due to skills shortage

At Stream, we recognise the challenge that many UK employers in the automotive industry face when trying to source skilled and experienced engineers for their vacancies.

According to a recent report by the Automotive Council, there are currently around 5,000 vacancies in the automotive industry as a direct result of a skills shortage in the sector. The majority of the skills shortages are within the engineering industry, with design and project engineers being the most in-demand roles.

This shortage is having an overall impact on the growth of the industry, as recently commented by Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders, “the struggle to fill vacancies is holding back growth and opportunities for business, it is essential that both government and industry work together quickly to identify ways to plug this gap”.

Although there is a shortage of skilled automotive engineers, the automotive industry itself is booming. Vehicle technology trends, such as the continued interest in the development of electric, hydrogen and hybrid powertrain platforms to meet future economy and CO2 targets, coupled with the future growth of the connected car market mean that competition for related engineering skills has never been greater.

Driverless Car Technology has been given a huge shot in the arm after 8 new projects are to receive a share of £20 million in funding towards R&D of enhanced communication between vehicles and roadside infrastructure or urban information systems. The projects are the first to be funded from the government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility Fund

Traditional Automotive manufacturing is changing as a result. Nowadays it’s not uncommon to hear names such as; Google, Apple, Tesla and Faraday Future when talking about how our experience as consumers will change in the future.

At Stream, we are here to help employers fill those difficult vacancies, If you are currently looking for new talent to join your company, or you are looking for your next job, please contact a member of the automotive division here at Stream.