New Transport Committee Inquiry Examines Critical Skills Needs In UK Transport Manufacturing

Transport Committee launches new inquiry on how to build a thriving transport manufacturing sector

A new parliamentary inquiry has launched to tackle the skills crisis gripping the UK’s £35.3 billion transport manufacturing sector, as the industry races to meet net zero targets whilst competing for talent in an increasingly tight labour market. The Transport Committee’s investigation comes at a critical moment when Skills England is reshaping the national skills agenda, and could determine whether Britain capitalises on the green transport revolution and establishes itself as a global leader in advanced transport manufacturing.

Transport Manufacturing Skills Inquiry

The Transport Committee has launched a new inquiry into how the Government can support transport manufacturing in the UK by planning and investing in the skills of its workers.  

The cross-party Committee will also look at how the Government and regional authorities, as well as the agency Skills England, could have the most impact in this field which straddles several different departmental remits. 

The inquiry will examine the health of the manufacturing sectors for motor vehicles, buses, ships, aeroplanes and trains, and the skills that these sectors need for physical construction as well as for roles associated with research, technology and design, fitting out and the wider supply chain.  

The manufacture of transport vehicles and equipment amounted to £35.3 billion of gross value added in 2024 and world-leading innovation continues to take place in the UK. 

MPs will look at how the skills needs of these sectors have changed, and will continue to change as the economy responds to challenges around reducing carbon emissions and opportunities presented by new technologies. There will also be a focus on educational routes into the sector through apprenticeships, university or vocational qualifications. 

It comes after the aerospace and automotive sectors were picked out for particular attention in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan section of the Government’s recently published Modern Industrial Strategy, and a government announcement that it will invest in developing and manufacturing zero-emission automotive. 

£35 Billion Sector Faces Critical Skills Crisis as Green Transition Accelerates

With transport manufacturing contributing £35.3 billion to the UK economy in 2024, the sector sits at the heart of Skills England’s ambitious mission to create “better skills for better jobs.” Yet critical skills shortages threaten to derail both productivity gains and the green transition that could define Britain’s industrial future.

The Transport Committee’s timely new inquiry launches as Skills England identifies construction, healthcare, and digital technology as priority areas for economic growth. However, transport manufacturing, spanning everything from electric vehicle production to sustainable aviation, cuts across all these sectors and represents one of the most complex workforce challenges facing the nation.

For FE providers and skills professionals, this inquiry offers a crucial opportunity to influence how apprenticeships, technical qualifications, and adult retraining programmes can be reshaped. The stakes are high: 46.3% of occupations are already in either critical or elevated demand according to the Skills England: 10 priority sectors, and getting the skills pipeline right could determine whether the UK leads or lags in the global race for green transport innovation.

The committee is asking the following questions on the Skills Needs in the Transport Manufacturing Sectors:

• What are the main skills needs facing transport manufacturers?   
• How far is there overlap between the skills needs of manufacturers in different transport sectors?   
• How effective are the pipelines for new workers into transport manufacturing, including from schools and colleges, from universities and apprenticeships, and recruiting older workers returning to or changing jobs?   
• How have technology and net zero changed the skills mix that is needed, and how prepared are transport manufacturing industries for future changes?   
• What are the main challenges in upskilling existing workforces?   
• Are there particular skill shortages, or examples of success in developing skills, at different points in the supply chain?   
• How effectively are different government departments working together, and working with local and combined authorities, to ensure transport manufacturers have the right incentives and support for maintaining a skilled workforce?    
• How effectively will the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and sector plans support skills in transport manufacturing? What is missing?   
• How can the UK grow employment in transport manufacturing?   

Transport Committee Chair Ruth Cadbury MP said: 

“The UK has a proud tradition of manufacturing motor vehicles, buses, aeroplanes, trains and ships. Although much has changed, these are sectors with ecosystems of businesses and supply chains that contribute significantly to the economy, and which many communities are fundamentally rooted in. 

“With challenges posed by competition from abroad, technological changes and the need to reduce emissions, the Transport Committee’s new inquiry will look at the transport manufacturing workforce, how new talent can be brought in, and how today’s workers can be upskilled. 

“Fixing these problems could make the UK more attractive to inward investment from transport companies in other countries who want to import UK-made vehicles, or who’d want to set up their factories here. Having a thriving, skilled workforce could also reduce the risk of companies upping sticks to other countries, leaving communities behind. 

“We want to scrutinise how effectively government departments work together to resolve these issues, and how the Government can achieve the aims of its new industrial strategy.” 

Call for evidence 

The Transport Committee now welcomes written evidence submissions from those with expert knowledge of the transport manufacturing sectors. Submissions can be made via the Committee website until 11.59pm on 15 September.