Marine engineers in demand

Matchtech’s latest research revealed an increase in demand for candidates, with 42% of over 3,500 surveyed engineers saying their company is looking to recruit more people in the coming 12 months.

“Investment in offshore power generation, particularly wind power, and renewed investment in UK ports to handle growing exports, are all driving demand for the engineering talent that designs and builds these often complex facilities and infrastructure,” Keith Lewis, managing director, Matchtech, told Maritime Journal.

On top of this, 59% of UK engineers say they are considering transferring to a different sector within the industry, including oil and gas (54%), renewable energy (47%) and automotive (34%), as job market opportunities continue to grow.

But, the industry is facing an ongoing skills shortage, and an ageing workforce isn’t helping matters with 39% of surveyed maritime engineers seeing this as the biggest threat to future growth and development within the industry.

“The engineering skills shortage is not a new phenomenon but it is one that is becoming more prominent, particularly in high-growth areas like maritime and subsea engineering,” Mr Lewis told MJ.

A lack of students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects was stated as the second biggest issue facing the industry, with lower pay rates compared to other industries ranked as the third greatest concern (8%).

“While many existing engineers are reaping the benefits of a buoyant job market and good salaries, long-term this imbalance between supply and demand for engineers has to be addressed if the UK engineering sector is to maintain its global position and drive growth in the UK economy. This is particularly important as the UK seeks to make further investment in offshore energy and maritime trade and transport infrastructure,” Mr Lewis added.

By Rachael Doyle