Engineers on the move
A recent survey of over 1,000 UK engineers has revealed that 43% are looking to transfer their work abroad. As an industry with a shortage of engineers, it is imperative that we tap into and engage with these potential industry entrants…
At the beginning of October 2012, engineering recruitment company Matchtech revealed the findings of its annual Confidence Index survey. However, the results were unsatisfactory for the UK government: more than half of the 1,000 plus engineers asked were not confident that companies would continue to invest locally, while 43% declared it was very possible, or definite, that they would move abroad to work in the next five years.
Keith Lewis, Managing Director of Matchtech, declared: “with Business Secretary Vince Cable’s recently announced strategy for industrial policy in Britain, the one thing the government is doing well is projecting a time for change in the industry. But, the Confidence Index statistics suggest it could be too little too late.”
Too little too late for Britain, perhaps, but these findings should excite the crew industry, whose shortage of engineers over past years has become more and more problematic.
“There is a massive shortage of engineers at the moment, especially those with MCA qualifications,” explains Louise Gallimore, engineers specialist crew agent at Bluewater Yachting, who added that using career fairs is a great opportunity to meet with potential engineers and “spread the word about what a fantastic industry the yachting industry is.”
The captain of a motoryacht recently spoke to The Crew Report, and explained that because of what are largely yachting-specific qualifications, the land-based, basic skills of on-board engineers is somewhat lacking, and as such they sometimes don’t even know how to wire a plug. This particular captain continued to advise that we as an industry should be looking to land-based engineers to fill the void of both a lack of engineers in this industry full stop, but also a lack of land-based and highly relevant knowledge of the existing engineers in this industry.
Surely we as an industry should be tapping into this group of engineers with the land-based knowledge we are looking for, that have almost been handed to us on a plate? There are more than 430 engineers in the UK that are looking to work abroad; why not work on a superyacht?
Mike French of International Crew Training expanded on the issue: “There is no question that the industry needs to source more qualified and suitable engineers. Yacht engineers arguably enjoy some of the best employment terms in the business, and the salary inflation of the last few years can only be attributed to a shortage of supply causing demand premiums. In short, anyone with engineering training, suitable aptitude, flexible attitude and horizons beyond the white cliffs of Dover would do well to look at yachting as a career.”
So, now that we know these potential superyacht engineers exist, and are looking to move their work abroad, we as an industry need to take the next step and make sure we engage seriously and professionally with them, making sure they are aware of the benefits of our niche industry and the transferability of their skills. If we do this, we have the potential to not only solve one of the recruitment industry’s present frustrations, but to improve the pool of crewmembers in this technical and challenging sphere.
Keith Lewis, Managing Director of Matchtech, declared: “with Business Secretary Vince Cable’s recently announced strategy for industrial policy in Britain, the one thing the government is doing well is projecting a time for change in the industry. But, the Confidence Index statistics suggest it could be too little too late.”
"Anyone with engineering training, suitable aptitude, flexible attitude and horizons beyond the white cliffs of Dover would do well to look at yachting as a career"
Too little too late for Britain, perhaps, but these findings should excite the crew industry, whose shortage of engineers over past years has become more and more problematic.
“There is a massive shortage of engineers at the moment, especially those with MCA qualifications,” explains Louise Gallimore, engineers specialist crew agent at Bluewater Yachting, who added that using career fairs is a great opportunity to meet with potential engineers and “spread the word about what a fantastic industry the yachting industry is.”
The captain of a motoryacht recently spoke to The Crew Report, and explained that because of what are largely yachting-specific qualifications, the land-based, basic skills of on-board engineers is somewhat lacking, and as such they sometimes don’t even know how to wire a plug. This particular captain continued to advise that we as an industry should be looking to land-based engineers to fill the void of both a lack of engineers in this industry full stop, but also a lack of land-based and highly relevant knowledge of the existing engineers in this industry.
Surely we as an industry should be tapping into this group of engineers with the land-based knowledge we are looking for, that have almost been handed to us on a plate? There are more than 430 engineers in the UK that are looking to work abroad; why not work on a superyacht?
Mike French of International Crew Training expanded on the issue: “There is no question that the industry needs to source more qualified and suitable engineers. Yacht engineers arguably enjoy some of the best employment terms in the business, and the salary inflation of the last few years can only be attributed to a shortage of supply causing demand premiums. In short, anyone with engineering training, suitable aptitude, flexible attitude and horizons beyond the white cliffs of Dover would do well to look at yachting as a career.”
So, now that we know these potential superyacht engineers exist, and are looking to move their work abroad, we as an industry need to take the next step and make sure we engage seriously and professionally with them, making sure they are aware of the benefits of our niche industry and the transferability of their skills. If we do this, we have the potential to not only solve one of the recruitment industry’s present frustrations, but to improve the pool of crewmembers in this technical and challenging sphere.
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