NEWS COMMENT
The Prime Minister’s plans to fundamentally change the education system, with the launch of new technical educational routes, has been welcomed by many in the engineering and manufacturing sector. Andy Burnham’s new pathways will provide 14-year-olds with valuable early access to technical skills, work experience and connections with local employers. Yet, according to research carried out by Accu, these plans have come at a time when entry-level engineering vacancies are just 9% of total engineering vacancies in the UK. Experts are warning that more needs to be done to increase entry-
level roles in these sectors amidst fears of AI automation replacing the apprenticeship and learning process of engineering. Accu’s analysis of engineering job postings across the UK in the past year revealed the country may face a rookie engineering drought.
The study found that an average of just 9% of engineering vacancies in the past year have been entry-level roles, despite total vacancies increasing by 80%. The Environmental & Sustainability sector has the highest proportion of entry-level engineering opportunities across all engineering disciplines, analysed at 16%. Alastair Morris, Managing Director at Accu, said “If the UK is serious about tackling its engineering skills shortage, businesses need to continue investing in apprenticeships, graduate schemes and junior engineering roles. Without those first opportunities, it’s much harder for young people to gain the practical experience needed to develop into the highly skilled engineers that the industry depends on.” The full story, with a geographical breakdown of areas in the UK
offering the highest and the lowest entry-level vacancies, can be found here:
https://processandcontrolmag.co.uk/entry-level- engineering-jobs-remain-low-while-total-roles-increase-80/ u
https://www.accu.co.uk/shop/precision-components Michelle Lea – Editor
In 2026, Minebea Intec is marking ten years since relocating to its UK head office in Birmingham. Over the last decade, the manufacturer of industrial weighing and inspection technologies has delivered innovative solutions for customers operating across a range of sectors, bringing performance, safety, and efficiency gains to production processes throughout the country. Peter Walker, country manager UK & Ireland,
MINEBEA INTEC CELEBRATES A 10 YEAR MILESTONE
said:“We moved to Birmingham when the industrial weighing division of Sartorius was sold to MinebeaMitsumi and, as a result, we needed to move. As we had the choice to go anywhere, we did a lot of research and found that this location would be excellent for both our customers and our colleagues in Ireland due the cost and frequency of flights between Dublin and Birmingham.”
Birmingham Business Park is next to the NEC, just a few minutes away from the International Train Station, five minutes away from the airport, and soon to be just a couple of minutes away from HS2. The company location makes it easy for customers both north and south to get to.
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“One of the biggest changes we’ve noticed, is that there are fewer project staff operating within our customers’ businesses these days,” explained Walker. “Those who do get involved seem to need more proof of concept and they have less budget, so are a little more careful about what they buy. That’s actually been good for us because we’ve got our showroom and demonstration area so we can bring people in, prove the concept, show them the equipment, and conduct product testing.”
Over the last few years, the company has been
really focused on upgrading their checkweighers and scales systems to feature new interfaces to meet the more modern demands of the industry. The expanded space has facilitated more demonstration and testing areas. There is also a small office in Dublin to represent Irish customers with an expanding team of four directly employed engineers, which is quite unusual for the industry.
During the last 10 years, customer expectations have also changed, as Walker explained: “They’re looking for more of a partnership now rather
PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING | JULY/AUGUST 2026
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR AUTOMATION FAIR
Rockwell Automation has announced that registration is now open for Automation Fair 2026, taking place November 16-19 at the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center in Boston. Centred on the theme Future in Focus, Automation Fair 2026 will bring together more than 14,000 manufacturing, technology and industrial operations professionals from around the world for four days of learning, innovation and collaboration. Attendees will explore emerging technologies, gain practical insights and connect with people shaping the future of industrial operations. Automation Fair offers attendees direct access to industry professionals, technology innovators, hands-on training, interactive exhibits and valuable networking opportunities designed to help manufacturers move forward with confidence. “Automation Fair is where the future of industrial operations comes into focus,” said Brian Hovey, vice president, global marketing and chief marketing officer at Rockwell Automation. “This event brings together the people, technologies and ideas that are transforming manufacturing. Whether organisations are advancing digital transformation initiatives, scaling AI, strengthening resilience or improving productivity, attendees will leave with actionable strategies and meaningful connections that help turn vision into results.” The Automation Fair Expo will feature more than 150 interactive exhibits, live demonstrations and Discovery Theatre presentations highlighting advancements in industrial automation, software, AI, smart manufacturing, cybersecurity, workforce technologies and digital operations. Attendees will see how these innovations are being applied to solve real business challenges and deliver measurable outcomes. u
www.rockwellautomation.com/automationfair
than just a piece of equipment. Customers today require a lot more supporting evidence to go with machines – things like sustainability documentation and credentials about our business and our accreditations. I think they really want to know that we’re going to be there for the long haul to support them.” Another change that’s occurred since the move to Birmingham is the requests for connectivity of machinery. The company’s new Blue HMI has revolutionised the user experience offering more consistency, connectivity and security than ever before. Staff can move between machinery seamlessly, they can control passwords and access to equipment and see an audit trail of who’s used it. Another trend that’s become more apparent over the 10 years are the challenges that customers have experienced with either recruiting or retaining staff. The team have had to respond by ensuring that every opportunity for automation has been realised which in some cases has enabled customers to reduce overhead costs. u
www.minebea-intec.com/uk/
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