North East Engineering, process and manufacturing companies say they can’t find the staff they need to meet the demands of the economic recovery that has seen manufacturing growth of 4% to the end of June 2010.
In an area generally considered to be struggling and indeed hit very hard in 2009 it is both encouraging and worrying to report skills shortages.
Semta, the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, estimates that skills shortages across the region are costing almost £5 million in lost productivity.
The research also reveals that 11,000 new recruits will be needed in manufacturing, engineering and science in the North East between now and 2016.
Local employers need to think outside of the box and to recruit from outside the region or indeed the country.
In certain areas such as CNC operators, fabrication and welding active recruitment is occurring in Poland and other eastern European countries and this is likely to be a medium term solution as it will take years to close the skills gap requirement in the UK.
Author: Chris Slay
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