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A third of Britons cannot identify a single occupation currently considered in-demand by the Government, according to a study by wet weather gear manufacturer Stormline.
Its study found a huge difference in jobs that were perceived to be desperate for skills and those that actually were. For example, teaching was wrongly considered by most to be the top in-demand profession, when in fact the most in demand occupation is engineering, according to the Government’s review of skills shortage occupations.
And while visual and graphic design jobs are in high demand, fewer than 1% of respondents could identify any of these occupations.
Just under one in five (17%) thought the UK needed more local government officials, legal professionals, police and IT workers. The same proportion identified science as a key skill, which is correct.
More than a quarter believe we need to recruit more people from overseas into skills shortage occupations because they were too poorly paid, while 23% thought there were skills shortages because working hours are too long. Eighteen percent thought these jobs went vacant because it was too difficult to qualify.
Regan McMillan, director of Stormline said: “It’s surprising that so many people don’t know the industries which are crying out for skilled professionals.”
“Engineering is perhaps the most high profile sector in this regard, but even so, it still appears to be a fairly low profile occupation generally.”
The Royal Academy of Engineering predicts that the UK will need almost two million more engineers by 2022, he added.
“There appears to be a myth that the most in-demand jobs are the ones nobody wants to do. That’s not true. Engineering, medicine, visual design and dance are all great occupations that are actually very competitive internationally.”
“If people aren’t aware that we need dancers and designers as well as engineers and teachers, we’re missing a chance to attract people into these important areas of study.”
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