Green engineering roles increased 55% in five years says report
24 May 2023
Demand for engineers is likely to grow faster than for most professions, thanks to the UK’s increased focus on attaining net zero targets, says a new report commissioned by Engineering UK.
US data consultancy Lightcast identified 6.1 million engineering jobs including tech roles across all sectors in 2021 – representing nearly one in five of all jobs in the UK. Meanwhile it found that engineering recruitment for the profession in the last year accounted for one in four of all job postings in the country.
The report says demand is fuelled either by a massive skills shortage, by employers hiring in the expectation of growth, or by a combination of the two factors.
Crucially job ads requiring ‘green skills’ had increased 48 percent over 2021/22 compared to the previous 12 months, to a total of 21,000.
Chief Executive of EngineeringUK Dr Hilary Leevers said: “Given the soaring demand for engineers across all sectors, it’s essential that the UK has a robust plan and funding in place to train the future workforce… alongside reskilling the current workforce.”
Demand has also meant that, at £38,600, is nearly 30% higher than the £30,000 mean average salary for all occupations.
This contrasts with a substantial drop in one sector that is a major employer for engineers: manufacturing. ONS figures show a 10% fall for Q1 this year from pre-pandemic levels. However national head of manufacturing for RSM UK Mike Thornton cautioned that the drop could be a reflection of greater productivity.
Pic: Sheffield AMRC
