According to new research from Flip, the frontline employee super-app, in partnership with Workplace Intelligence, 87% of UK manufacturing managers say most technical expertise sits with older employees, raising concerns that critical organisational knowledge will disappear when they retire.
Escalating Skills Gaps in the Manufacturing Sector
With four in five (81%) managers reporting that their teams lack essential technical skills, the industry faces an escalating skills gap that businesses are unprepared to close. Over two thirds (69%) of manufacturing managers say they lack confidence in their company’s ability to equip workers for future skill demands, and 71% doubt their ability to reduce existing skills gaps.
Younger Workers Struggling to Keep Up in Manufacturing
94% of managers say younger workers (under 25) do not have the technical skills needed, raising serious concerns about the industry's ability to transfer expertise before it’s too late. New hires are struggling to keep up, as 73% of managers say it takes too long for new employees to get up to speed, typically taking up to six months to become fully productive. Senior employees are propping up operations, with 82% of experienced workers picking up the slack for new hires just to keep teams on track, an unsustainable burden that puts long-term productivity at risk.
Lack of Investment in Onboarding and Training
Almost three in five (57%) managers say their company doesn’t invest enough in tools to support onboarding and training, and 75% say a lack of structured onboarding is slowing down productivity.
The Impact of the Workforce Crisis on UK Manufacturing Productivity
As manufacturing teams struggle with widening skills gaps, the pressure on experienced employees is reaching breaking point. Businesses are becoming dangerously dependent on a small group of seasoned workers, while onboarding and training failures leave new hires unprepared. These issues are already taking a serious toll on productivity, efficiency, and safety across the sector.
Lost Productivity Due to Skills Gaps in Manufacturing
Manufacturing employees are now spending more than 16 hours a week correcting coworkers’ mistakes, unstructured training, and helping others with their tasks—equating to nearly 64 hours per month, per employee. That’s the equivalent of eight full workdays lost every month for every employee, just to compensate for missing skills.
Health and Safety Concerns Due to Inadequate Onboarding
With 76% of UK manufacturing managers warning that inadequate onboarding is creating serious health and safety risks, businesses cannot afford to let these gaps continue widening.
The Urgent Need to Address the Workforce Crisis
“UK manufacturing is standing on the edge of a skills cliff," said Benedikt Brand, co-founder and CEO of Flip. "When experienced workers retire, they’ll take decades of hands-on expertise with them. The future of UK manufacturing depends on a new generation of skilled workers, but without urgent investment in training and knowledge transfer, productivity will stall, and the industry will struggle to compete on the global stage."
Taking Action to Address the Workforce Crisis in Manufacturing
The UK’s manufacturing sector cannot afford to ignore the twin crises of mass retirement and widening skills gaps. With 81% of UK manufacturing managers saying productivity declines when experienced employees leave, businesses must act now to prevent a critical knowledge drain.
Without immediate action, the industry’s long-term stability—and the UK’s position as a manufacturing leader—could be at risk.
