MoveATech’s Key Learnings From Automation UK 2025

We were up bright and early this week to head to Coventry to explore Automation UK 2025. We knew it would be an exciting event with lots of innovation on display, but it was still absolutely fascinating to see the technology in action. MTC were walking around with a Boston Dynamics robot dog, a Fanuc robot beat our director Tom at table football, and KUKA made a huge orange statement by bringing out the big boys.

What really stood out to us, though, were the seminars.

43% of engineering apprenticeships are not successful

Thomas Flude, Co-Founder of Engineers Insight, hosted a compelling session on how to attract and retain emerging talent in manufacturing. He opened with a surprising and quite disheartening statistic – 43% of engineering apprentices do not complete their apprenticeships. This sparked a broader discussion on how we, as an industry, can do more to promote engineering and manufacturing as rewarding career paths and support businesses to nurture that emerging talent.

Tony Ryan, CEO of The Design and Technology Association and a former headteacher, admitted that most people in education simply do not understand what manufacturing truly entails. He emphasised that subjects like Design and Technology are key to introducing young people to electronics and robotics, but a positive collective image of manufacturing is vital to spark interest among the next generation.

Angela Lawlor of Marvellous Manufacturing reinforced this. Angela’s organisation supports manufacturers in engaging directly with schools, colleges, and universities, so she is in a fantastic position to explain how we need to get specific about what engineers actually do, and actively showcase the incredible opportunities available in UK manufacturing.  

If your business has long-term plans for hiring talent into junior roles, it’s well worth connecting with Tony or Angela, who can support you in doing so.

A clear and common theme

The message that every seminar we attended made clear was that if we want to attract future talent, we must make manufacturing relatable to young people.

Festo’s Engineering Technician degree apprentice, Precious Akintimehin, offered valuable insights from an apprentice perspective. She highlighted that giving apprentices adequate time to complete their studies – and ensuring they feel genuinely integrated into the business – is key to retention and making them feel valued.

Thomas Flude captured the strategy for attracting and retaining talent in four keywords:
• Perception
• Inspiration
• Validation
• Outreach

Engaging young talent for manufacturing

We were also fortunate to hear from the hugely charismatic Jake Hall – the “Manufacturing Millennial” – who had travelled over from the US. He warned that by the early 2030s, the number of open manufacturing roles in the UK is expected to rise from 80,000 to over 425,000. In an industry currently valued at £518 billion annually, such a shortfall in talent could be catastrophic. This increase in open positions in the UK is largely due to the average age of people working in manufacturing in the UK being 55, according to Jake’s research. As things stand, we simply do not have enough young talent coming through to replace the workforce as members retire and pursue other interests.

But there is hope. Jake echoed the importance of engaging with education, and shared that in the US, manufacturers who have built partnerships with schools and universities are already seeing positive results.

He also discussed some timely insights. The next generation of workers are seeking flexible, tech-savvy employers who offer clear career progression and varied roles. They want to feel validated, but also crave the ability to learn independently.

Employers must provide the tools for employees to research and grow in their roles. As Jake brilliantly pointed out that, what the previous generation’s Haynes Manual was to them, YouTube is to many of us. Therefore, the resources must be up to date with the next generation’s style of learning in order to engage them.

Jake’s final point was one many businesses overlook: social branding matters! Young people will research a company, whether that’s via a website, TikTok or LinkedIn. Investing time in content that showcases the business, products, career opportunities, and development paths should be a key part of any business’s hiring strategy.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day. We bumped into some fantastic people we’re connected with, and it was great to meet face-to-face. A big thank you to Automation UK for putting on such a brilliant event – we’re already looking forward to next year!