Engineering Shortage – Can Universities Keep Up?
Thursday 12th June 2025
James Hall, Managing Director, EMBS, knows all too well about the shortage of candidates in engineering – he asks can the universities keep up?
As an experienced engineering recruiter, I see the struggle to find top talent. The UK’s engineers are ageing (average 54), and not enough new graduates are joining the field.
A recent Financial Times article points to the core issue. Universities can’t produce enough science and engineering graduates to meet demand.
Financial Strain on Universities
Applications for high-cost degrees like engineering have jumped 14% since 2019. However, enrollment has only risen by 5%. Why? Because universities lack the funds to expand these programmes.
As Vivienne Stern from Universities UK states: “Universities are not expanding high-cost courses at the rate that they would be if they were simply responding to student demand or the needs of the labour market.”
Government Cuts
Recent government cuts to higher education funding have made things worse. Engineering courses need special facilities, expensive equipment and dedicated teachers. Tuition fees and standard grants simply don’t cover these costs. Universities rely on extra state funding, but its value has dropped by nearly 20% since 2018-19. Plus, an eight-year freeze on tuition fees has further hurt university income.
The UK needs more skilled graduates in high-growth sectors. The decision to cut funding for high-cost courses in real terms seems ridiculous. It will only undermine the very ambitions that the government has set.
Impact on the Job Market
This shortage directly impacts engineering recruitment. Companies struggle to fill critical roles. There aren’t enough new graduates to meet demand from innovation, infrastructure and the push for net-zero. Businesses then compete fiercely for experienced professionals, driving up salaries and extending hiring times. This hurts productivity and competitiveness.
Graduates from these high-cost subjects are vital. They are much more likely to work in critical sectors like life sciences and advanced manufacturing. These sectors are key to the UK’s economic growth.
The Department for Education says it’s protecting funding for important courses and making tough but fair decisions. However, universities are cutting costs and even courses due to financial pressure. In my opinion, this makes it harder, not easier, to expand the programmes the UK needs most.
