Manufacturing skills shortage increases pressure on current industry employees

The manufacturing industry is struggling to find skilled staff to help keep up with consumer demand, according to a recent survey conducted by Barclays Corporate Banking.

Furthermore, the number of new employees entering the workforce is at its lowest on record.

More than 2,000 young people took part in the survey, of which just 6% of 16-to-23-year-olds said that they would consider a career in manufacturing, with 47% saying that the sector didn’t appeal to them. A further 35% believed that they did not have the required skills to gain a position in the industry.

This contrasts to the growth in manufacturing productivity in the period spanning 2010 to 2017, where overall productivity increased by 3.1% – higher than whole economy productivity growth of 2.4% during the same period.

Midland Pallet Trucks said as the sector continues to demand greater productivity with far fewer workers, emphasis must be placed on employee safety and wellbeing to ensure that productivity levels stay positive in 2019.

Phil Chesworth, managing director of Midland Pallet Trucks, said, “With many of our customers operating in the manufacturing industry, we want to help support their productivity and provide them with the best quality lifting equipment to help ease the physical toil and pressure placed on workers in the sector.

That’s why we’ve set up out same-day dispatch service from our central distribution centre to help keep the wheels turning and provide employees with every piece of lifting equipment they would need to carry out their roles safely.”