It’s no secret that the UK manufacturing industry is experiencing a massive skills gap. Indeed, the latest ONS figures show there were 95,000 manufacturing vacancies in April-June 2022 — a 49.5% year on year increase. But what’s the answer? Dr. Gillian Murray, Deputy Principal for Business and Enterprise at Heriot-Watt University, believes graduate apprenticeships, as well as more flexible, less traditional learning mechanisms, are crucial for bridging the gap. The Manufacturer's James Devonshire sat down with with Gillian to find out more.
Speaking recently at a hearing with the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, Stephen Phipson, chief executive of manufacturing organisation Make UK, told MPs that skills shortages in Britain’s manufacturing sector are costing the UK £7bn in lost economic output — equivalent to £21m a day in lost gross domestic product (GDP) per worker. “We’ve…
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