Our eighteenth Skills Shortages Bulletin contains twelve contributions from researchers, employers and educators which map the pressures reshaping the UK labour market, from rising youth inactivity to the technician crisis at the heart of industrial strategy. Youth unemployment is on the rise. NEET levels, those between 16 and 24 not in education, employment, or training, are just under one million, or one in eight young people. But two-thirds are not looking for work, and 28% are inactive due to sickness or disability. Solutions to skills shortages and NEET levels will need to recognise the diversity of young people’s barriers.
Addressing youth unemployment may become even more challenging with the level of anticipated change to the shape of the labour market in coming years. Up to 3 million jobs in declining occupations could disappear by 2035. But roles critical to the UK’s industry strategy like technicians, go unfilled. For example, the UK Warehousing Association report that in their sector 37% of employers are experiencing shortages in automation and robotics skills, rising to 53% in 2030. Skills shortages in the UK economy remain a pressing issue.
Our special supplement to this edition of the bulletin covers land based industries, sectors being rapidly reshaped by digital technologies and ecological developments. But agriculture, horticulture, equine management and environmental conservation remain dependent on place-based, practical training pathways that are chronically underfunded relative to what modern industry demands. What does the future hold?