Manufacturing & Engineering

Manufacturing is the production of goods through the conversion of raw materials, parts, or components into a finished product ready for sale. This finished product may be sold directly to the manufacturers’ customers, to wholesalers who will distribute the goods to their customers, or to other manufacturers for use it in the manufacture of their products. Technology and automation are playing an increasingly important role in manufacturing, ensuring high volumes and consistent quality of products can be achieved.

Engineering is the design, construction, use and maintenance of machinery, or structures such as roads or bridges. It involves the application of maths, science and technical knowledge to solve problems. It is one of the broadest sectors, with many different specialist areas, such as aerospace, automotive, control and instrumentation, electrical, materials, mechanical, process or rail.

There are over

jobs in this sector in Hull and East Yorkshire

This accounts for over

of jobs in the region

Did you know?

In Great Britain around 7.6% of all jobs are in manufacturing. It is more than double this figure in Hull and East Yorkshire at around 17%, making it the largest sector in our region.
There are around 7,810 more jobs working for businesses in this sector in Hull and East Yorkshire than in 2015, the highest increase of any sector and up by 20%.
In 2022/23, 1,230 apprentices started an Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies apprenticeship in Hull and East Yorkshire, this equated to 25% of all apprenticeship starts (England = 14%).
The number of women working in engineering roles has increased from 562,000 in 2010 to 936,000 in 2021.

Source: BRES (2022), DfE, EngineeringUK

Will there be opportunities available?

Between October and December 2023, 77% of businesses in the manufacturing sector in the UK reported difficulties recruiting staff.
49% of engineering businesses in the UK are experiencing difficulties recruiting workers with the skills they need.
The manufacturing sector is struggling to fill 95,000 vacancies in the UK, costing the UK £7bn in lost economic output.
Siemens Mobility’s new train manufacturing facility and rail village at Goole will create up to 700 direct engineering and manufacturing jobs and 1,700 indirect jobs when it opens in 2024.
Engineering has one of the highest rates of employees approaching retirement age in the UK, these workers will need to be replaced as they retire.

Source: British Chambers of Commerce, IET, Make UK, BRES (2022)

Check out careers in the Manufacturing & Engineering sector in Career of the Week

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