The UK Government's proposal to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 needs to be paired with significant investment in skills development, especially in engineering. The defence sector has been facing a shortage of technical engineers, which, if unaddressed, could lead to a workforce crisis similar to the NHS. Experts argue that while increasing the size of the armed forces is important, the pressing need for engineers to support technology and cybersecurity must also be prioritized to ensure the resilience of the defence sector.
The resilience of the UK's defence sector is increasingly under scrutiny, and while the focus has largely been on the size of the armed forces, it's not just a 'boots on the ground' issue.
A lack of appropriate investment in skills growth will put the plans - and the country's security - at risk.
Plans were discussed earlier this year to develop a National Engineering and Technology Workforce Strategy, but it's clear that the defence employment market requires additional and urgent investment.
Without the required technical engineering skills, the armed forces will be ill-equipped, which simply cannot happen.
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