Enginuity brings the engineering and manufacturing sector together at Advanced Engineering UK 2026

Enginuity brings the engineering and manufacturing sector together at Advanced Engineering UK 2026 

For Enginuity, skills development, collaboration and inclusion were at the heart of Advanced Engineering UK, as employers, industry leaders and partners came together to discuss the future of the engineering and manufacturing sector. 

With a busy stand and a packed programme of sessions and activities, Enginuity's presence focused on one important message: progress in engineering and manufacturing depends on collaboration. Connecting employers, educators, policymakers and industry partners is essential to understanding workforce challenges and developing the skills solutions businesses need. 

Exploring the future of skills and the policy landscape 

The first day featured discussions on the future of skills and the changing policy landscape. 

Lee Higgins, Business Intelligence Manager at Enginuity, and Michael Rook, Senior Data & Insights Analyst at Enginuity, shared perspectives on the future of skills in engineering and manufacturing. Lee highlighted the importance of understanding your business and using data effectively to build resilience and prepare for potential challenges. 

Neil McAvoy, Policy Manager at Enginuity, also explored the evolving policy landscape, discussing the importance of staying informed about developments that could affect the sector and the businesses operating within it. 

Away from the main stage, Enginuity's stand welcomed visitors from SMEs, larger organisations, academia and education, providing opportunities to exchange perspectives, discuss workforce priorities and explore potential areas for collaboration. 

Addressing the growing skills challenges facing industry 

Throughout the event, conversations highlighted growing gaps in specialist skills across engineering and manufacturing, with industries including metals and textiles facing challenges in filling vacancies and maintaining a strong talent pipeline. 

This was reflected in the findings shared during the UK Metals Council's presentation of its State of the Metals Industry in the UK 2026/27. Enginuity's Sector Engagement Lead (Midlands and East of England), Jeff Baker, also took part in the panel discussion at the co-located UK Metals Expo, contributing to wider conversations about the challenges facing the metals industry and the skills needed to support its future.

The findings highlighted the scale of the workforce challenge facing the metals industry, with 75% of businesses reporting a limited pool of qualified candidates. Workforce demographics also raised concerns about the future talent pipeline, with 58% of businesses reporting a workforce aged between 41 and 66, compared with just 2% reporting an average workforce age between 16 and 25. 

Apprenticeships also featured prominently in the discussion. While 50% of businesses currently employ apprentices, only 57% include apprenticeships in their workforce strategy, down from 68% in 2025. The presentation identified a lack of suitable candidates (63%), limited internal mentoring capacity (42%) and uncertainty around return on investment (41%) as key barriers. 

These findings reinforce the need for a more joined-up approach to workforce development, including stronger technical pathways, effective apprenticeship support and opportunities to attract and retain new talent. 

With a particularly strong SME presence at this year's show, we also heard directly from businesses about the importance of investing in people alongside capital, technology and infrastructure. Delegates emphasised the need to combine education with practical experience, ensuring people have opportunities to develop the workplace knowledge and skills employers need. 

Addressing these challenges requires a broader approach to workforce development, looking beyond apprenticeships alone to consider the different skills interventions, employment pathways and progression opportunities businesses need. 

Strengthening our partnership with UK Metals Council 

Building on these discussions, Enginuity signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK Metals Council (UKMC), bringing together our expertise and industry networks to strengthen the voice of SMEs and support skills development across engineering and manufacturing. 

Signed at the NEC in Birmingham to mark the launch of UK Metals Expo 2026, the agreement will see the two organisations work more closely to ensure employers' views help shape skills provision and future policy. 

Ann Watson MBE, CEO of Enginuity, said: "Our combined voices, commitment and sphere of influence, coupled with industry knowledge, expertise and strength of feeling, can only be a positive move for SMEs across the sectors we both serve." 

Rachel Eade MBE, Chair of the UK Metals Council, welcomed the partnership, highlighting the importance of aligning policies, bringing employer views into lobbying activity and putting skills at the centre of future priorities. 

The partnership builds on Enginuity's wider work to understand and address skills gaps, including findings from our Mind the Gap report, and provides an opportunity to turn shared industry insight into practical action.

Find out more about the partnership

Celebrating women's experiences and progression in engineering 

The second day also placed Enginuity's 365 Faces of STEM community at the heart of the programme, with discussions exploring inclusion in the sector: past, present and future. 

A highlight was a panel discussion featuring four women from the 365 Faces of STEM community: Kim Everitt, Natalia Adamson, Zenisha Peterkin and Katie Burns. 

The conversation explored mentorship, belonging and the importance of retaining women in engineering and manufacturing. It highlighted that improving representation is only part of the challenge. Creating inclusive workplaces where women feel supported, valued and able to progress is equally important to building a sustainable talent pipeline. 

Tabby Hanlon-Scott and Maia Rowe-Sampson from Enginuity's Engagement Team also joined Katie Burns, Quality Engineering Degree Apprentice at Airbus, on the Advanced Engineering podcast to discuss transparency, progress in inclusion and why Enginuity's 365 Faces of STEM initiative is important in driving meaningful change across the sector. 

The podcast episode will be available on LinkedIn, Spotify and YouTube soon. 

Find out more about 365 Faces of STEM

Connecting people with opportunities and inspiring future generations 

The event also provided an opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and explore new opportunities for collaboration. 

Enginuity met with representatives from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), including Euan Carlile, National Recruitment and Partnership Consultant at DWP, to discuss our continued partnership delivering workshops and pre-employment support. This work helps connect people with opportunities across engineering and manufacturing, supporting employers to access talent from a wider range of backgrounds and employment pathways. 

We also caught up with supporters of Enginuity's Girls Can Engineer initiative, including an original contributor to the book who continues to champion its resources. 

Encouraging younger generations to explore STEM is an important part of developing the future workforce. Through initiatives such as Girls Can Engineer and our wider online career tools and resources, we aim to help young people discover the opportunities available across engineering and manufacturing. 

Find out more about Girls Can Engineer

Continuing the conversation beyond the show 

Advanced Engineering UK 2026 reinforced the importance of bringing the sector together to turn shared challenges into meaningful action. 

From conversations with SMEs and larger employers to discussions with students, academics and industry partners, the event demonstrated a strong appetite for collaboration and a shared commitment to strengthening the engineering and manufacturing workforce. 

For Enginuity, the connections made throughout the two days provide an important foundation for continued work with employers and partners to address skills gaps, improve inclusion and create opportunities for people to build careers in the sector. 

We look forward to building on this year's conversations and continuing our work to support a thriving engineering and manufacturing sector.