Developing the UK’s engineering and manufacturing talent
Thursday 18 December 2025
Developing the UK’s engineering and manufacturing talent
The UK is facing a skills crisis, making skills-based education more important than ever. Earlier this month, a delegation from Skills EnglandLink opens in a new window and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) visited Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick, to see how it’s helping to prepare the workforce of tomorrow.
Welcomed by WMG’s Dr Benjamin Silverstone, Head of Skills Policy and Strategy, the delegation consisted of Katherine Green, DWP’s new Director General; Gemma Marsh, Deputy CEO of Skills England; and Mark Foley, Deputy Director of Work-based Skills at DWP. Their visit was an opportunity to showcase WMG’s role in supporting skills development by connecting industry with academia through world-leading education programmes and apprenticeships.
Skills England and DWP met with technical apprentices and T Level students to hear about the value of blended learning. WMG’s Technical Apprenticeships enable students to become qualified engineering manufacturing technicians with a Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Engineering, whilst developing practical experience and skills through real-life industry projects.
Over four years, apprentices undertake rotational placements across WMG’s research areas to develop their industry network and deepen their understanding of a wide range of engineering and manufacturing activities. By the end of their course, apprentices are equipped with everything they need to hit the ground running in full-time employment.
WMG also offers Degree Apprenticeships, which are developed in collaboration with key industry partners, including JLR, Aston Martin, and Dyson. These apprenticeships allow students to learn whilst they earn, achieving a degree from a world-class university without putting their careers on hold.
Meanwhile, T Levels — vocational qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds — combine classroom learning with practical industry experience to prepare students for skilled employment and further education.
WMG was one of the first institutions in the UK to host T Level placements, working in partnership with providers WMG Academy Trust Link opens in a new windowand Warwickshire College Group. Since 2023, it has supported 24 students in gaining the skills they need to thrive as tomorrow’s engineers and technicians by connecting them with industry; three of these students have continued their learning as technical engineer apprentices.
The delegation also met WMG’s SME Group, which links businesses, academia, and emerging talent to help UK manufacturing and engineering thrive. The team, along with industry representatives from Aston Martin, ZF, and Schneider Electric, discussed the current skills landscape from an employer’s perspective and the importance of skills development for the future of British industry.
Dr Silverstone commented: “We were really pleased to host the new Director General of DWP, and the Skills England Team, to show our work closely linking industry, education and government.”
“WMG is hugely invested in ensuring the success of Skills England and their mission to ensure that we have a skills system that is fit for purpose. For us, this is just the start of the journey for our work with Skills England.”
Discover how WMG is championing skills for the future by exploring its Degree Apprenticeships, Technical Apprenticeships, and Skills Centre, which delivers a range of industry-aligned short courses.