Today is GCSE results day, with thousands of young people hoping for the grades they need to move on to the next step toward their future career.

But for manufacturers and engineering employers already facing persistent skills shortages, this year’s figures raise fresh concerns about whether enough young people are developing the technical foundations needed to enter the sector.

This year’s results show:

  • A 7.1% decrease in the number of students taking Computing at GCSE – 85,096 students taking it this year compared to91,619 last year, continuing last year’s downtrend trend
  • The same trend in Engineering, with a 9.1% decrease in the number of students taking the subject – 2,250 compared to2,476 last year, also continuing last year’s downtrend trend
  • Female participation remains particularly low, with just 334 girls taking Engineering across the UK.

Source: https://www.jcq.org.uk/gcse-interactive-results-dashboard/

So, what do industry experts say:

Chris Richards, SVP International Sales at Syspro

“Recent research reveals that 75% of manufacturers identify skills shortages as their biggest barrier to growth. And with only a 0.6% year-on-year growth in the uptake of UK apprenticeships in manufacturing and engineering, a lack of new talent is starving the industry of fresh minds and new ideas. As students across the UK receive their exam results this month, it’s a critical time for young people deciding what their career path might look like, so it’s vital that businesses in our sector do more to encourage them into the industry.

“Since the introduction of AI has drastically changed how we work, we need to translate those changes into how we bring young people into manufacturing. If AI is increasingly taking on many of the tasks that previously would have been carried out by those in entry-level roles, then the role itself needs refreshing. The goal is to make high-tech factories both appealing and productive: user-friendly tools like AI-powered apps and intuitive interfaces keep next-gen workers engaged, while continuous upskilling through apprenticeship schemes and beyond ensures human expertise grows alongside automation.

“We cannot expect young people to enter the workforce already proficient in how AI is being used in our sector, so manufacturers need to create environments in which employees can experiment with it, learning through real work and building confidence through hands-on experience. Only then will young people gain meaningful opportunities to use AI while still developing the judgement, business understanding and human expertise that technology cannot provide.”

 

Paraic O’Lochlainn VP eMaint, a Fluke Brand

“The “first rung” of the career ladder may feel out of reach for many young people. But we also need to ask why so many have been shown only one version of what that rung looks like.

Schools are still celebrated for Russell Group offers while the economy is short of the electricians, engineers and technicians needed to deliver its biggest growth ambitions – from renewables and data centres to a golden age revival of UK manufacturing. That is the supply-and-demand mismatch no one wants to confront.

“For years, young people were told that success meant university, a degree and an office job. Everything else was quietly branded second-best.

“Now we have over a million young people outside education or work, while industries like manufacturers offering paid training, progression and long-term demand can’t find enough people.

That is not a lack of ambition. It is a failure of imagination from the system around them.

We don’t just need more opportunities. We need to stop hiding the ones that already exist behind outdated assumptions about what a “good career” looks like.

“Whilst university is a valuable route, it is not the only respectable one. For young people, manufacturing and the trades should not be a Plan B. They are a direct route into skill, income, purpose and the “first rung” we keep claiming is missing.”

 

Mark Williams, Managing Director, EMEA & Global Customer Success at WorkJam

“Entry-level roles are crucial in helping young people transition from education to the workplace, enabling them to gain the experience needed to build strong foundations for their careers. Unfortunately, as organisations are under pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiency, these jobs are becoming more limited. With more than 13.5% of young people not in education, employment or training, there is a growing risk that more will struggle to gain the experience and confidence needed to establish themselves in the workforce.

“Organisations need to find ways to invest in their early-career staff, while also improving productivity. Whilst AI is often associated with back-office efficiency, it also has significant potential on the frontline. If used well, it can give employees real-time guidance when carrying out day-to-day tasks, encouraging learning in the flow of work. For example, if  faced with a routine problem, the employee can ask its workplace chatbot and receive an immediate answer or a recommendation for relevant training. This allows graduates to resolve the issue with limited disruption, whilst also accelerating their development.

“But it isn’t just about getting young people into work. Employers also need to ensure that they offer routes for progression so they can develop their careers. This can be achieved through comprehensive training and development plans, coupled with tools such as digital skills badges, which recognise newly acquired capabilities and give employees a clearer view of how they can take on greater responsibility over time.

Ultimately, we owe it to the next generation to protect these opportunities and support early career staff, even when economic pressures make doing so more difficult.”