Rethinking Engineering Hiring in 2025: How UK Businesses Can Tackle the Talent Shortage

The UK’s engineering sector faces a critical talent shortage, with over 173,000 vacancies in STEM fields and engineering roles making up 25% of all UK job postings. Yet many businesses overlook a key solution - broadening their hiring approach.

Traditional recruitment focuses too narrowly on formal career paths, missing out on skilled professionals from other industries, military backgrounds, and trades who could transition into engineering with the right training. With competition for talent intensifying and the shortage costing the UK economy £1.5 billion annually, companies that rethink their hiring strategies will be best placed to secure the skills they need.

 

The Current State of Engineering Recruitment

Many companies still rely on the same conventional hiring strategies, which are becoming increasingly ineffective. The key challenges include:

• Rigid degree requirements – Many roles still require formal engineering degrees, even when hands-on experience and industry certifications could provide an alternative route.
• Limited focus on transferable skills – Skilled professionals from industries such as construction, logistics, and the military are often overlooked, despite having relevant experience.
• Insufficient investment in training and development – Instead of developing talent internally, many firms are searching for "ready-made" engineers in a market where they are in short supply.

The UK needs a more flexible and forward-thinking approach to engineering recruitment.

 

Where Are the Hidden Engineering Talent Pools?

The good news? There’s untapped talent out there. Here are three key groups that could help close the skills gap:

 

Military Veterans and Service Leavers

Many veterans possess advanced mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering skills, gained through years of hands-on experience. Yet, thousands struggle to transition into civilian engineering roles due to a lack of industry-specific certifications.

Solution: Employers should work with organisations like the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to develop direct-entry pathways for veterans, recognising military training as an equivalent qualification.

 

Skilled Tradespeople

The UK has a well-established skilled trades sector, yet there is often a divide between technical trades and engineering roles. Many professionals working in areas such as precision machining, fabrication, and maintenance already have skills that can be transferred into higher-level engineering positions.

Solution: Instead of relying solely on graduate recruitment, businesses should establish apprenticeship conversion schemes for tradespeople to upskill into engineering roles.

 

Mid-Career Professionals from Adjacent Industries

Sectors such as construction, logistics, and IT have professionals with problem-solving, data analysis, and process improvement skills that are increasingly valuable in modern engineering. However, the lack of clear career transition pathways prevents many from making the switch.

Solution: Companies should introduce accelerated training programmes that help professionals from adjacent industries transition into engineering.

 

Rethinking Hiring Strategies for a Sustainable Workforce

To stay competitive, businesses need to take a more proactive approach to engineering recruitment. Key actions include:

• Reviewing job descriptions – Ensuring that job requirements focus on skills and experience, rather than rigid academic qualifications.
• Expanding recruitment outreach – Partnering with trade associations, military transition programmes, and technical colleges to reach a wider talent pool.
• Investing in upskilling initiatives – Offering structured development pathways for employees to transition into engineering roles.

The UK’s engineering skills gap is not going to be solved overnight, but companies that take a more open and flexible approach to hiring will be in the best position to secure the talent they need.

 

Conclusion

The demand for engineers is only going to increase, and companies that rethink their recruitment approach now will build a more resilient, future-ready workforce.

 

At Holt Engineering, we can help companies identify and attract skilled professionals who bring practical experience, adaptability, and problem-solving expertise to engineering roles.

If your business is struggling to find engineering talent, get in touch to see how we can help.