The Engineering Roles Most In-Demand in the UK

Taylor Studwelding have explored the areas that engineering roles are most in-demand and currently see the largest shortages. The research has shown that Greater London holds the title as the region with the most demand for engineers across all sectors.

The following article will explore the areas, sectors and roles that have the largest shortage of engineers.

The Areas With the Largest Engineering Shortages

Analysts at Taylor Studwelding first looked into the areas of the UK seeing the largest shortages of engineers.

Greater London

Greater London found the largest shortage of engineers with an average of 59,210 vacancies across Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. Development Engineers were in the shortest supply with 9957 vacancies followed closely by Technical Engineer roles that had 8945 vacancies. Transport for London is a hub for engineering roles in the Greater London area, with 90 live vacancies. Transport for London has a wealth of graduate and apprenticeship roles, making it an accessible employer for future engineers.

South East

The South East followed behind Greater London with the second largest shortage of engineers. The average number of vacancies across Indeed and Reed is 32,469 at the start of April 2022. Software Engineers are in demand with 3,640 roles followed closely by Development Engineers seeing 3,296 vacancies. Randstad has a high concentration of roles available in the South East, they currently have 4,800 vacancies. These roles range from Site Engineers to Quality Engineers.

West Midlands

In third place, the West Midlands saw an average of 16,331 vacancies across Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. In the West Midlands, Technical Engineers are desired the most, with 1,838 vacancies. Development Engineers follow closely with 1,774 vacancies. A principle engineering institution, Jaguar Land Rover, has a large engineering base in the West Midlands. Jaguar Land Rover currently have 7 engineer based roles in the West Midlands.

Scotland

Scotland ranked fourth in the research. 12,779 is the average number of engineering vacancies in the region at the start of April 2022. Development Engineers and Technical Engineers were the most in demand, with 1,927 vacancies and 1,748 vacancies respectively. BAE systems have an aircraft engineering base in Prestwick, roughly 30 miles outside of Glasgow. They currently have 5 engineering roles available, ranging from Aerospace Engineers to Senior Design Engineers.

East Midlands

Taking the title for the fifth region with the largest shortage of Engineers is the East Midlands. The region has an average of 9,846 vacancies according to Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. The role that is most sought after are Technical Engineers, 828 vacancies are being recruited for. Aerospace engineers was the second most needed role with 827 vacancies. The potential in this region to develop a career as an Aerospace Engineer is considerable. With the presence of the East Midlands airport, the region has an abundance of Aerospace Engineering roles with big name airline companies such as Jet 2 and Ryanair.

The UK Engineering Sectors Seeing the Most Vacancies

The Taylor Studwelding team then looked at the engineering industries seeing the most vacancies overall.

Design and development engineers

With a broad spectrum of roles, the design and development sector is one of the most creative. A lot of the work requires the use of a Computer Aided Design Software. Design and Development Engineers are responsible for creating future products, whether it is the next IPhone or electric car components. There is a current average of 22,063 roles available in the UK, according to Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. Greater London has seen the biggest demand for this type of engineer with 12,399 design and development engineer openings, 56.2% of all vacancies across the UK.

Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified

Technical and Software Engineers are constantly evolving due to the ever moving tech industry. This sector is responsible for developing and improving systems that assist with day-to-day living. These types of roles involve a lot of analysis and testing to find the best solutions. Due to the concentration of engineering firms in Greater London, this region saw the largest shortage of Technical and Software Engineers. 17,299 vacancies, on average, are available in Greater London, according to Indeed and Reed and the start of April 2022.

Civil engineers

From railway developments to environmental projects, Civil Engineers have a wide range of opportunities. These roles are mainly office based, however, there is a need to visit sites on occasion. Civil Engineers need excellent problem solving abilities along with budget management skills. Currently, an average of 587 vacancies are live for Civil Engineers in the Greater London area, making this the largest shortage concentration, for Civil Engineers, in the UK.

The UK Engineering Roles Seeing the Most Vacancies

Taylor Studwelding analysts then looked at the roles that are seeing the highest demand across the UK.

Development engineer

22,063 is the average number of vacancies available according to Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. Development Engineers are responsible for developing new products. The regions that saw the largest shortage is Greater London and the South East with an average of 9,957.5 and 3,296.5 vacancies available in these areas, respectively.

Technical engineer

There is an average of 20,790 openings available according to Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. Technical Engineers work on detecting and solving problems that arise within their given sector. This type of engineer is required mostly in the Greater London area with an average 8,945 vacancies at the start of April 2022.

Software engineer

Software Engineers create code and programmes to run a wide variety of systems. These can range from computer games to bespoke business software. 18,491 is the average number of vacancies that are live according to Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. Greater London and the South East saw the largest shortage of Software Engineers. The average vacancies in Greater London is 8,354.5 and the South East is 3,640.

Building engineer

12,411 is the average number of Building Engineer roles that are available according to Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. A Building Engineer’s main purpose is to design and maintain buildings to ensure they are fit for use. The greatest demand for Building Engineers is in Greater London. There are currently 6,779 vacancies.

Site engineer

Site Engineers act as technical advisors on structural projects. They are responsible for surveying a proposed area above and below ground. There is an average of 11,915 vacancies available according to Indeed and Reed at the start of April 2022. Greater London saw the largest shortage with 4,013 vacancies.

Andy Gillings, Sales Area Manager at Taylor Studwelding, said: “The current shortage is influenced by the lack of graduate and junior positions that are available. Our research found that there is just one graduate engineering role for every 185 engineering vacancies across the UK. Businesses are wanting to recruit developed engineers instead of training graduates. With skilled staff in short supply, now is the time to act. Young people are encouraged to take up apprenticeships and businesses are rewarded with a bursary when taking part in an apprenticeship scheme.”

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