UK engineering is facing a structural challenge. Investment is flowing into defence, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, and clean energy. But across the board-from aerospace to water infrastructure, there simply aren’t enough skilled engineers to deliver on these ambitions. The problem isn’t funding. It’s capacity.

To make the most of these investments, the UK needs to rethink how it moves and retains talent. Engineers should expect to work across multiple sectors throughout their careers. And employers must get comfortable hiring professionals from outside their immediate field. That shift is already underway: the 2025 Engineering Labour Report by Murray McIntosh shows that 40% of engineers are considering work outside their current sector. In defence, it’s 48%.

The lines between industries are blurring. Shared technologies, like automation, embedded systems and digital tools, mean that a skilled engineer in one sector is increasingly relevant in another. Yet too many hiring processes still treat sector-switchers with caution, while many engineers undersell the value they bring.

The Skills Are There, But You Need to Frame Them

If you’re an engineer looking to move sectors, your CV needs to do more than list previous roles. It must connect your experience directly to the challenges of the sector you’re targeting. Don’t rely on job titles to speak for you, use specific language that explains your function and expertise.

Avoid listing past responsibilities without context. Instead, link the skills you used to the outcomes you achieved, and then draw a clear line to how those results could be replicated or adapted in your target industry. For example, if you reduced downtime on a production line by 15% using predictive maintenance, explain how that approach could benefit water-treatment or defence manufacturing systems.

Employers aren’t just hiring for what you’ve done, they’re investing in what you could do for them. Make that potential clear.

Say It Again in the Interview

The same principle applies during interviews. Candidates often default to retelling stories from their previous sector, assuming the technical achievements will translate. But what hiring managers want to hear is how those experiences will improve their business.

Make the impact forward-facing. Instead of saying, “In aerospace I led a testing programme that improved component failure rates,” try, “I’d bring that same data-led testing approach here to help reduce system errors and improve reliability, particularly in areas like propulsion or control systems.”

Demonstrating sector awareness is equally important. Research the specific challenges, standards and technologies of the industry you’re moving into, and be ready to reference them.

The Market Needs This Shift

The UK government recently announced a £5 billion investment in defence, part of a broader strategy to reinforce sovereign capability and accelerate key infrastructure projects. Yet the Engineering Labour Report highlights a major blind spot: these investments often come without a clear plan for how to staff them.

At the same time, water utilities, aerospace manufacturers and shipbuilders are all competing for overlapping skills. There isn’t a deep enough pool in any one sector to meet the demand. That’s why mobility isn’t just a personal opportunity, it’s a national necessity.

Encouraging cross-sector movement helps distribute talent more effectively. It allows engineers to build more resilient careers and gives employers access to untapped capabilities.

Employers: Start Looking Beyond the Obvious

The onus isn’t just on candidates. Employers need to shift how they assess and interview engineers. Instead of prioritising sector-specific backgrounds, hiring managers should focus on underlying technical ability, problem-solving approaches, and adaptability.

If a candidate has delivered measurable outcomes in one high-stakes environment, they’re likely to do the same elsewhere, provided they get the right support. More inclusive job specs, structured onboarding and internal training can all help bridge any initial knowledge gaps.

Organisations that embrace this mindset will build more agile, future-ready teams, and gain a competitive edge in hiring.

A Better Way Forward

Letting engineers move between sectors is the only practical way to address the UK’s chronic skills shortages in engineering. From defence to marine to renewables, we’re seeing consistent investment, but without enough people to deliver.

By highlighting transferable skills on CVs, linking past achievements to new challenges in interviews, and hiring based on capability rather than just credentials, we can start to close that gap.

Engineers must own their career journeys. Employers must broaden their thinking. And together, they can create a workforce fit for the industries shaping the UK's future.

Our 2025 Engineering Salary & Employment Report will be published in July. If you would like early access please email engineering@murraymcintosh.com

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