Across all engineering industries the most prevalent hard-to-fill vacancies are craftsmen/women technicians, and operators/assemblers.  Hard-to-fill vacancies (48%) and skills shortage vacancies (24%) are more likely to exist in small companies employing less than 25 employees.  Hard-to-fill vacancies are the result of a low number of applicants with the required skills, qualifications and work experience. There are some differences between industries including:

Electronics companies in England (29%) and Scotland (16%) have hard-to-fill vacancies, with large sites having the most difficulty recruiting.  Electronics companies in Northern Ireland (7%) have the least difficulty with hard-to-fill vacancies.  No companies in Wales report these types of vacancies.  Generally the main hard-to-fill vacancies for electronics are for technicians and machine operator roles.

Automotive companies in England (26%) and Scotland (21%) have difficulty with hard-to-fill vacancies.  Automotive companies in Wales (5%) and Northern Ireland (6%) have the least difficulty.  Overall in the industry, vacancies are greatest in operator and craft level occupational categories.  Hard-to-fill skills include welding skills and the ability to use CNC machinery.

Aerospace companies in England (33%) and Scotland (33%) had the most difficulty with hard to fill vacancies, in Wales (17%) and Northern Ireland (15%) had the least.  Vacancies were greatest for professional engineers, skilled trades (craft) and machine operatives.

Sources: SEMTA 2006 and Spilsbury Research/SEMTA 2004