About the event
National Manufacturing Day is a chance for manufacturers all over the UK to tell people about the manufacturing industry and the jobs and apprenticeships that are available in the sector.
To find out what manufacturers are doing for National Manufacturing Day near where you live, look at www.makeuk.org/national-manufacturing-day
How many people work in manufacturing and what sort of jobs do they do?
In the UK, in March 2026, there were about 2.5 million jobs in manufacturing, just under 7% of all UK jobs.1
Food and drink is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector - 484,750 people are employed by 12,130 UK food & drink manufacturers.2
Locally, manufacturing is even more important. In West Yorkshire, there are over 105,000 jobs in manufacturing, 9.4% of all jobs, and manufacturing is the fourth biggest sector in terms of employing people, behind health and social work, retail and administrative and support services.3
In Calderdale, manufacturing is the joint second biggest sector, employing 11,000 people, and accounting for over 12.2% of all jobs.4
In Kirklees, manufacturing is also the second biggest sector, employing 25,000 people and accounting for 15.4% of all jobs.5
Examples of jobs in manufacturing include:
| Blacksmith | Car manufacturing worker | CNC machinist |
| Electrical engineering technician | Engineering operative | Food factory worker |
| Food packaging operative | Foundry moulder | Furniture maker |
| Garment technologist | Maintenance fitter | Materials technician |
| Packaging technologist | Production manager | Recycled metals worker |
| Textile operative | Toolmaker | Welder |
The manufacturing sector is very closely related to engineering. This is because engineers design, install, maintain and repair the technology and machinery used in manufacturing.
Trends in manufacturing
Manufacturing is very important to the UK economy. The UK is currently the 11th largest manufacturing nation in the world and manufacturing contributed £220 billion in output to the UK economy in 2024.6
A recent survey found that many manufacturing companies are struggling to recruit people with the skills they need. In fact, half of the manufacturers surveyed said that skills shortages are the main obstacle preventing their companies from growing.7
This means that there will continue to be a big demand for people to work in manufacturing. However, increased use of AI and the rise of automation means that technology has started to do some of the manual or repetitive tasks in manufacturing, that people used to do. And instead, there is an increasing demand for people with higher level digital and engineering skills to work in manufacturing. So, although 65% of manufacturers are expecting to employ more people by 2036, 32% are expecting, as a result of AI, a reduction in the need for low‑skilled labour. 7
And as the UK works towards becoming a green, low carbon economy, there is likely to be a particular demand for mechanical, electrical, electronic, chemical and software engineers.
Skills and qualities needed to work in manufacturing
There are many different types of jobs in manufacturing - some are practical, such as being a welder or a food factory worker, others involve working out how to make things, and how to make them more efficiently. You need different skills depending on the type of manufacturing job you do. Examples of some important skills and qualities include:
- For some jobs, being practical - the ability to work well with your hands
- The ability to use your initiative
- Being thorough and paying attention to detail
- Analytical thinking and reasoning skills
- Being good at problem-solving
- The ability to come up with new ways of doing things
- Being good at maths
Routes into working in manufacturing
Because there are so many different types of manufacturing, there are lots of ways to get into the industry. You could study at a college or university, or do an apprenticeship.
At sixth form or college
There are qualifications incuding A levels, BTECs and T levels - available in subjects that could help you if you want to work in manufacturing. These include:
- Art and Design
- Computer Science
- Craft and Design
- Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing
- Design and Technology
- Engineering and Manufacturing
- Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
- Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
- A levels in Maths and Physics are useful for engineering courses at university
At university
If you have, or are aiming to have, level 3 qualifications such as A levels, V levels or a T level, you could consider doing a higher education course at a college or university. There are lots of courses that are related to manufacturing - depending on what it is that you want to make. See www.ucas.com for more information about higher education courses. Examples of just a few of the courses available include:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Automotive Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Fashion Design
- Food Science and Technology
- Furniture Design
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Product Design
- Software Engineering
- Textiles
Apprenticeships
If you prefer learning by doing a job, you could consider doing an apprenticeship. Examples of apprenticeships related to manufacturing include:
Level 2
Engineering operative
Food and drink process operator
Footwear manufacturer
Furniture making operative
Sewing machinist
Welder
Wood machinist
Level 3
Engineering and manufacturing support technician
Engineering maintenance technician
Fashion and textiles pattern cutter
Machining technician
Metal fabricator
Science manufacturing technician
Levels 4-6
Engineering manufacturing technician (level 4)
Fashion and textiles product technologist (level 4)
Food and drink engineer (level 5)
Manufacturing engineer (level 6)
Manufacturing manager (level 6)
Packaging professional (level 6)
Project control professional (level 6)
Entry requirements for apprenticeships vary because each employer will set their own.
- For level 2 apprenticeships, you may need some GCSEs at grades 9-3
- For level 3 apprenticeships, you may need four or five GCSEs at grades 9-4
- For apprenticeships at levels 4-7, you usually need qualifications at level 3, such as A levels, a T level or a BTEC National Extended Diploma
More information about apprenticeships, including vacancies, can be found at www.apprenticeships.gov.uk
In the future, higher level engineering and digital skills will be needed for many jobs in manufacturing
For teachers
Make UK has produced a range of resources for teachers to use with their students. The resources include:
- More information about National Manufacturing Day and related events that are happening locally
- Links to a wide range of interactive engineering related lessons and activities, including the Enginuity Skills Miner Game and Enspire City Game for younger students
See www.makeuk.org/national-manufacturing-day/educational-resources for the full range of resources.
Sources
1. www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/gor/2013265923/report.aspx
2. www.fdf.org.uk/fdf/business-insights-and-economics/facts-and-stats
3. www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/comb/1853882371/report.aspx
4. www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/lad/1778385155/report.aspx
5. www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/lad/1778385156/report.aspx
6. www.themanufacturer.com/uk-manufacturing-statistics
7. www.makeuk.org/insights/reports/shape-british-industry
