NEWS
THE PATHWAY TO ENGINEERING SUCCESS
E
Kate Ellison, Vice President, Human Resources at John Crane, discusses how we can build new pathways into engineering through apprenticeships
ngineering businesses worldwide are responding to digitalisation, the energy transition, demographic change and shifting customer requirements. But the people needed to deliver that
change are becoming harder to find. In fact, ManpowerGroup’s 2026 Engineering World of Work report found that nearly 73% of employers worldwide are struggling to find skilled engineering talent. What’s more, nine in ten employers hiring engineers say the retirement of experienced workers is already affecting their HR strategy. As a result, the challenge is more than filling current vacancies. Instead, engineering companies need to develop new capabilities while transferring the knowledge accumulated by experienced employees. Whilst conventional recruitment remains important, the scale and pace of change mean employers can’t rely on the external labour market alone. In the UK, this pressure is increasingly visible across the early-careers jobs market. Adzuna recorded 8,383 advertised graduate vacancies in July 2026, 45.6% fewer than a year earlier and the lowest level since it began tracking graduates roles in 2016. Rather than pitching one route against another, employers need a broader mix of pathways through which they can identify potential and develop the capabilities they need. Apprenticeships and vocational training give businesses the option to build the capabilities they require through a combination of structured learning and workplace experience.
This is particularly valuable in engineering, where theoretical knowledge must be accompanied by sound judgement and an understanding of safety, quality and operational performance. That’s where vocational programmes step in. They allow people to apply what they learn in real working environments, and critically they do this with support from experienced colleagues. However, apprenticeships are still too often viewed solely as an entry route for school leavers. At their best, they create opportunities for people at multiple career stages. They can help someone take their first step into engineering or enable an employee from a non-technical background to move into a new role. At John Crane, we currently have 47 apprentices across our UK business. 22
are new recruits, while 25 are existing employees who are upskilling using our apprenticeship pathways. The pathways span engineering, manufacturing and maintenance, as well as data, software, supply chain and business functions. In September, engineering, procurement and supply chain apprentices joined our Slough team, and we plan further apprentice recruitment in 2027.
One of the most important lessons we have learned is that apprentices are only as successful as the teams they join. Employers need to provide
protected learning time and meaningful opportunities to apply new knowledge. Line managers need to see coaching and development as part of their role, rather than viewing apprentices simply as additional resources for their teams. Apprentices also need support to balance workplace responsibilities with the demands of formal study. Recognising this, we have created five roles dedicated to supporting
apprentices, including an Early Careers Manager role. We have also established a structured framework providing consistent mentoring, coaching and pastoral support throughout each apprentice’s development. Ultimately, vocational pathways can help engineering businesses reach people who might not otherwise see the industry as accessible. The scale of that opportunity is considerable, with UNESCO estimating that 267 million young people aged 15–24 worldwide are not in employment, education or training. Employers should therefore broaden outreach beyond established recruitment networks, explain the variety of careers available and assess potential rather than relying exclusively on conventional academic routes. The strongest programmes also create a visible future for participants. Some colleagues who began their careers as John Crane apprentices remain with the organisation more than 40 years later. Their experience demonstrates how a well-supported entry route can develop into a lasting and rewarding career. That longevity benefits employers too. As experienced engineers approach
retirement, structured learning and mentoring can support the transfer of expertise that cannot be easily captured in a manual. Apprenticeships can therefore help organisations bring in new perspectives while preserving essential institutional knowledge. This approach will not replace graduate recruitment or the need for experienced specialists. Its value lies in giving businesses greater ownership of creating the capabilities they need to meet their skills needs. When embedded in workforce planning, apprenticeships can widen access, support career progression and build a more resilient engineering talent pipeline. u
www.johncrane.com
TUNLEY LAUNCHES SUSTAINABILITY INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM T
unley Environmental has launched VerdaMetric, a new sustainability intelligence platform designed to help organisations collect, organise, manage and use carbon and sustainability data
more effectively. Developed in response to the recurring challenges Tunley sees when supporting organisations with carbon accounting, sustainability reporting, verification and environmental strategy, VerdaMetric brings data, calculations, evidence, reporting activity and future planning together in one platform. The software is designed to address a common issue for sustainability teams: information is often spread across spreadsheets, inboxes, departments, sites and reporting periods, leaving teams to manually bring data together, identify gaps and confirm which information is correct. VerdaMetric allows organisations to upload and organise existing information, track Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, monitor data
completeness, maintain clear audit trails, review performance over time and use targets, roadmaps and financial insight to support future planning.
Key functionality includes bulk uploads, data-completeness tracking and detailed records of how sustainability information has been reviewed and changed. These features have been developed around the problems Tunley Environmental regularly encounters when working with client sustainability data. Dr William Beer, Founder and CEO of Tunley Environmental, said of
VerdaMetric: “It was built on the idea that sustainability software should make the work easier, not create another layer of problems for its users.” VerdaMetric has also been designed to support sustainability management beyond annual reporting. Organisations can maintain information throughout the year, monitor progress and use their data to inform future sustainability strategy. u
www.tunley-environmental.com
OCTOBER 2026 | PROCESS & CONTROL ENGINEERING 5
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