UK engineering skills and labour insight 2026
The UK engineering labour market is changing rapidly, with major energy, infrastructure and defence projects increasing competition for specialist skills.
Our latest guide explores the key trends shaping engineering recruitment, including hard-to-fill roles, regional demand, workforce forecasts and practical considerations for building a more resilient skills pipeline.
Inside the guide, you’ll find:
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Current engineering labour market trends, including the key factors driving skills shortages and regional demand.
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The skills and roles most in demand, highlighting where employers are experiencing the greatest recruitment pressures.
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NRL candidate placement insight, analysing demand across our UK recruitment branches from January 2025 to September 2026.
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Sector workforce forecasts to 2030, exploring expected skills demand across nuclear, offshore wind, hydrogen, CCUS, defence and infrastructure.
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Practical approaches to future workforce planning, from developing talent pipelines and upskilling to identifying transferable skills and strengthening succession plans.
Why download it?
Engineering skills shortages are creating risks for project delivery and workforce availability. This guide helps employers identify where pressures are emerging and plan recruitment more proactively.
It will help you:
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Understand engineering talent shortages
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Identify the most in demand roles
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Explore sector workforce forecasts
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Benchmark demand using NRL placement insight
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Build stronger talent pipelines
Key insights
Demand for specialist engineering skills is growing, driven by investment across energy, infrastructure, defence and nuclear, while employers continue to face challenges securing key skills. Employers will need to plan ahead, developing talent pipelines, upskilling teams and identifying transferable skills to reduce future recruitment risk.
Planning for future skills demand
As competition for engineering talent intensifies, employers need to anticipate potential skills gaps and build stronger talent pipelines. Download the guide for insight to help inform your future engineering recruitment and workforce strategy.
194.9%
Projected increase in hydrogen jobs by 2030
14.7%
Employees over the age of 60
48.2%
Expected increase in offshore wind jobs
