Aerospace industry launches hiring campaign amid skills shortages
By Adam McCulloch
The aerospace industry has launched a nationwide recruitment campaign after new figures revealed that two-thirds of employers are struggling with skills shortages that are holding back growth.
Trade body ADS has joined forces with Airbus, GKN Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce and Safran to launch the There’s Aerospace For You campaign in a bid to boost awareness of careers in the sector and attract new talent.
According to ADS, 66% of aerospace employers are experiencing persistent workforce shortages, while the wider aerospace, defence, security and space sectors have around 10,000 unfilled technical vacancies each year.
The organisation’s research also suggests a lack of awareness is contributing to recruitment difficulties. Polling found that 59% of the public had never received information about careers in aerospace, while half were unfamiliar with the sector as a potential career path.
The campaign features employees from across the industry, including wing structures design engineer Immanuel Oyetunde at Airbus and customer services apprentice Kritigya Sherchan at Safran, alongside a new careers website and a touring recruitment pod built from the upcycled fuselage of an A318 aircraft.
Industry minister Chris McDonald said the initiative highlighted the breadth of opportunities available in the sector.
“To keep our world-class aerospace sector at the forefront of innovation, we need to secure its next generation of talent,” he said. “Whether your background is in manufacturing, construction, sustainability or digital technologies, this sector has a position ready for you.”
Kevin Craven, chief executive of ADS, said the scale of the recruitment challenge meant employers needed to work together.
“Securing the future workforce of the UK aerospace industry is not a challenge that any single manufacturer can solve in isolation,” he said. “We are holding back our own growth potential by leaving 10,000 vacancies unfilled each year.”
The campaign is also designed to challenge perceptions of careers in aerospace. ADS said 60% of young people would not currently consider a career in manufacturing because of outdated assumptions about factory environments and pay, despite average aerospace salaries reaching £52,600 a year – around one-third higher than the UK average.
The launch comes as employers across the aviation industry continue to face intense competition for skilled workers.
The International Air Transport Association has estimated the sector will need 300,000 pilots, 416,000 maintenance technicians, 678,000 cabin crew and 71,000 air traffic controllers worldwide over the next decade.
Research from aviation recruitment agency Aerviva suggests demand remains historically high, with major US airlines alone expected to recruit more than 7,600 pilots in 2026.
The agency also highlighted recruitment challenges in Europe, where low-cost carriers, regional airlines, cargo operators and business aviation companies face greater difficulties attracting staff than legacy airlines with established cadet programmes. High training costs, limited financial support and self-funded type ratings continued to restrict entry into the profession, said Aerviva, while the decision by the International Civil Aviation Organization (a UN agency) last October not to raise the pilot retirement age beyond 65 had added further pressure to recruitment.
According to Aerviva, the industry will need about 1.5 billion aviation professionals to meet future demand, given the rapid technological transformations in the industry. As a result of these, airlines are not just hiring pilots and engineers; they are competing for talent in AI, data science, sustainability, and modern airline retailing. Aerviva stated: “This dual demand
of traditional roles meshed with emerging skillsets is stretching aviation HR and aviation recruitment strategies to their limits. Recruiting in aviation is becoming more complex, more competitive, and more time-sensitive than ever before.”
The There’s Aerospace For You campaign is currently touring the UK, with the recruitment pod appearing at the Farnborough International Airshow before visiting Manchester and Glasgow. Job seekers, career changers and graduates can explore vacancies and training opportunities through the campaign’s online hub.
