• • • TRADE SKILLS • • •
TRAINING AT SCALE
shortage that limits industrial productivity and slows innovation.
This challenge is especially visible on the factory
BY MARK RICHARDS, UK SALES MANAGER, BECKHOFF UK
C
oncerns about the engineering skills shortage have been circulating for years, but the pace of technological change has transformed the challenge into something far more urgent. Automation, digitalisation and advanced control systems are reshaping industrial operations at a rate that traditional training pathways simply cannot match. Here, Mark Richards, explains how the industry must rethink the way it views training to close the engineering skills gap. Discussions often focus on the potential for automation to replace jobs, while in reality the UK’s competitiveness now depends on having enough skilled people to deploy, manage and optimise these technologies. This means closing the skills gap is not only an economic priority, but a critical workforce issue too.
As automation becomes deeply embedded across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and energy sectors, employees will require significant reskilling. Yet employers routinely report difficulty finding candidates with the right blend of engineering and digital capabilities. This hybrid skillset requires sophisticated education and training infrastructure that is currently still a rarity. The result is a widening skills
20 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING •MARCH 2026
floor. Technologies such as collaborative robots, advanced motion systems and machine vision dramatically improve safety, quality and throughput. However, this can only be true with well-trained human oversight, as even the most sophisticated automation platforms require engineers who can program, troubleshoot and maintain them.
This calls for an industry-wide shift in how training is delivered. Traditional, one-off courses are no longer enough, as engineers need continuous access to structured learning that spans fundamental principles, applied technologies and emerging digital competencies. Recognising this, Beckhoff UK has significantly expanded its national training provision, strengthening an approach that blends hands-on technical instruction with future-focused digital skills development.
A major step in this expansion is the recent upgrade of Beckhoff’s Huntingdon training centre, which is now 50 per cent larger than its previous site and equipped with modern AV systems, dedicated training rigs and flexible collaboration spaces. The facility can now accommodate twelve participants per session, up from eight previously, reducing waiting times and increasing course availability for engineers across the country.
It forms part of a wider national investment that includes the opening of a new office at Alderley Park and expanded facilities in Glasgow,
collectively enabling Beckhoff to offer more training places than ever before.
Under the leadership of Etienne Phillips, the content of the training programme is evolving too. Alongside established PLC and TwinCAT programming courses, Beckhoff is developing new streams designed specifically for software developers moving into automation. This is an increasingly common career pathway as industries converge around data-rich and software-defined architectures. Plans for CPD-style modules covering machine vision fundamentals, object-oriented programming and platform-agnostic engineering principles further reflect the need for cross-disciplinary knowledge that can be applied across multiple automation environments.
If the UK is to remain competitive, training must be seen not as a short-term solution but as a long- term strategic investment. Automation will continue to accelerate, and the demands placed on engineering teams will grow accordingly. By expanding training capacity, evolving course content and strengthening partnerships with education providers, companies can ensure that their workforce is not left behind. More importantly, they can empower engineers to shape the next generation of industrial innovation rather than be shaped by it. Ultimately, closing the skills gap is about more than staffing, but is about securing the UK’s industrial future. Technology may drive progress, but it is people who make it possible.
https://www.beckhoff.com
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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