Feature

New year, new skills

Well, here it is: another new year! It’s a time of reflection, renewal and regretfully folding away that gaudy-but-cosy Christmas jumper at the back of the drawer. For engineers, it’s a good opportunity to look ahead, to consider the future of the industry and the next generation of skills.

07/01/2026 16:10:38

If you work in UK engineering or manufacturing, you don’t need reminding that the skills pipeline often feels less like the steady flow industry needs, and more like a spluttering Tunbridge Wells tap, following the town’s much-publicised water outage at the end of 2025.

It’s no secret that apprenticeship numbers have fallen significantly over the past decade. In fact, since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in 2017, now the Growth and Skills Levy, overall manufacturing and engineering apprenticeship numbers in England have declined by a staggering 25 percent.

The gender imbalance persists, regional disparities remain stubborn, and many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) still say the system is too complex, too bureaucratic and too expensive. Meanwhile, demand for engineers entering high-potential sectors like clean energy, AI and advanced manufacturing is growing more quickly than supply.

So, when the Government announced a £725m overhaul of the apprenticeships and skills system at the end of 2025, the sector understandably pricked up its ears. The headline – 50,000 more apprenticeships over the next three years – does sound quite promising.

Read the full article in DPA's January 2026 issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.