From crisis to capability: Can flexible education solve the engineering skills gap?
Engineering skills sit at the heart of several of the eight priority sectors set out in the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy. Addressing the existing skills shortages in engineering is critical to sectors including advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, and digital and technology.
Josh Robertson, Founder of Engineer a Career, led an insightful discussion on this webinar delivered by The Open University. The conversation was driven by findings from the Business Barometer 2025, which reveals that 58% of engineering and construction employers face a skills shortage – a challenge that demands urgent action.
Panellists:
Mark Cameron, CEO, The 5% Club
Faye Banks, Global Head of Transmission & Distribution, Turner & Townsend
Neil Arlett, Head of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, Biffa
Dr Gareth Neighbour, Senior Lecturer in Engineering, The Open University
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Why watch?
The webinar explores three critical themes:
The Engineering Skills Shortage – Where the gaps are and why they persist.
Engineering as a Career – How to make the profession attractive to Gen Z and diverse talent.
Widening Access Through Education – Practical steps employers can take to upskill and reskill their workforce.
The panel shared the view that employers are struggling to fill roles critical to the UK’s net-zero transition and infrastructure growth, with issues such as an aging workforce causing significant concern in many organisations. This webinar offers actionable insights on:
Building internal talent pipelines.
Leveraging flexible education to close mid-career gaps.
Attracting women and other underrepresented groups and inspiring the next generation.
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How can you get someone in their 50s who've got masses of life experience in what people call transferable skills into an engineering pathway? Mums and fathers coming back from parental leave, they are natural career changers. There's such an opportunity.
Mark Cameron
The 5% Club
Promoting engineering as a career
The webinar also included a fascinating discussion about how engineering as a career can be better communicated in a way that engages a wider audience. Biffa’s Neil Arlett explained: “Engineering touches everything we do—from the jacket you wear to the cup in your hand. If we can show that, we’ll inspire the next generation.”
The panel agreed that this should come through more personal stories and journeys, and makes clear the societal impacts that engineers are delivering each day.
“What better career than one that transforms society—whether it’s medical, digital, or infrastructure?” – Faye Banks, Turner & Townsend
Engineering with The Open University
The Open University offers a wide range of flexible engineering qualifications. They are accredited by several leading professional engineering institutions. Students take part in individual and team-based projects, practical activities and remote access experiments.
Flexibility is key – study when you want, wherever you are. That’s how we break the bottleneck in mid-career progression… Employers and universities must form a strong nexus. When students graduate, they should hit the ground running.
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Further resources
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