Skills for transport manufacturing

Transport Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 22 Jul 2025 Parliament page
The UK has a long tradition of manufacturing motor vehicles, buses, aeroplanes, trains, and ships, but manufacturers in the transport industries are concerned about skills shortages. These industries are integral to the economic health of the communities they are based in, and they provide high-quality, British-built equipment for companies here … Read more
10 Recommendations
6 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
1 Letter
2 Events
Activity timeline 7 events
5 May
2026
Report published
28 Jan
2026
Report published
5 Nov
2025
Oral evidence
5 Nov
2025
Correspondence
5 Nov
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
22 Oct
2025
Oral evidence
22 Oct
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
5 Nov 2025
View on parliament.uk
Alan Krikorian · Department of Work and Pensions Eddie Dempsey · National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT) Lilian Greenwood MP · Department for Transport Mr John McGookin · Unite the Union Rebecca Schapira · Department for Business and Trade Sarah Maclean CBE · Skills England
22 Oct 2025
View on parliament.uk
Balaji Srimoolanathan · ADS Group Ltd Dr Benjamin Silverstone · Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick Jamie Cater · Make UK Matthew Ogg · Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Oriel Petry · Airbus Professor Chris Brace · University of Bath (IAAPS + Institute of Coding) Tom Chant MBE · Society of Maritime Industries
Title HC No. Published Items Response
5th Report - Engine for growth: securing skills for transport ma… HC 1223 28 Jan 2026 16 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
8 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Engine for growth: se…
UK transport manufacturing sustains communities, providing high-quality jobs and significant economic contribution.
Manufacturing of motor vehicles, buses, aeroplanes, trains, and ships has deep roots in the UK, supported by rich ecosystems of associated businesses and supply chains. Transport manufacturing provides high quality, well-paid work which sustains many communities across the country and … Read more
Government Response
Acknowledges the importance of transport manufacturing to the UK economy and describes changes to the Growth and Skills Levy and funding for various skills initiatives.
Department for Transport
View details
2 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Engine for growth: se…
Mobilise cross-government support and cultivate talent to capitalise on transport manufacturing decarbonisation opportunities.
The Government’s legislation on the provision of bus and rail services, and policies promoting transition to EVs and fuel innovation in aerospace, provide once-in-a-generation opportunities for production and employment. Delivering on these opportunities will require the Department of Transport to … Read more
Government Response
The Government states that supporting skills across the eight growth-driving sectors identified in the Industrial Strategy is a priority and that they are introducing flexibilities through the growth and skills levy to support critical skills in these sectors.
Department for Transport
View details
7 Recommendation Acknowledged
5th Report - Engine for growth: se…
Re-introduce levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships for all ages across key growth sectors.
We concur with the Education Committee in its report on Further Education and Skills that the Government should re-introduce levy funding for level 7 apprenticeships for all ages within the eight growth- driving sectors identified in the Government’s Modern Industrial … Read more
Government Response
The Department for Transport will engage with employers, supported by Skills England, to continue to build this picture to inform the development of vocational training pathways and products.
Department for Transport
View details
8 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Engine for growth: se…
Outdated apprenticeship standards contain gaps, failing to meet transport manufacturing sector employer requirements.
Apprenticeship standards and other technical education training standards are not consistently being kept up to date and sometimes contain significant gaps or irrelevant content. As a result, the skills provided do not always meet the requirements of employers in the … Read more
Government Response
Skills England welcomes the opportunity to work with the transport manufacturing sector to understand their needs for skills passports and how these connect with the wider manufacturing sector where passport development is already under consideration.
Department for Transport
View details
9 Recommendation Acknowledged
5th Report - Engine for growth: se…
Ensure apprenticeship standards are updated every three years with transport manufacturer involvement.
Skills England should ensure that, notwithstanding the recent change to remove the requirement to undertake reviews at fixed points, apprenticeship and other technical education training standards are revised and updated at a minimum of every three years. It is essential … Read more
Government Response
The DBT has developed a target, in consultation with industry, to increase women’s representation in the sector to 35% by 2035, and are working with industry to improve representation and diversity across the sector, including through a Make UK Equality Taskforce due to be launched in the coming months.
Department for Transport
View details
10 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Engine for growth: se…
UK lacks sufficient education-to-industry pipeline and adequate workforce reskilling and upskilling support.
The UK does not have a sufficient pipeline from education to industry. Re- skilling and upskilling are also not adequately supported to better enable people to be retained by existing businesses or move from one business or sector to another. … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the skills gap and references its vision for a world-leading skills system and actions being taken to align delivery levers across employment and adult skills programmes.
Department for Transport
View details
12 Recommendation Acknowledged
5th Report - Engine for growth: se…
Consult the transport manufacturing sector on a ‘competency passport’ approach for worker transferability.
Skilled workers face significant barriers when trying to move across and within areas of transport manufacturing. This is especially frustrating when employers report persistent skills shortages. Skills England should by the end of 2026 consult the transport manufacturing sector on … Read more
Government Response
Skills England welcomes the opportunity to work with the transport manufacturing sector to understand their needs regarding a 'competency passport' approach and how these can connect with the wider manufacturing sector where passport development is already under consideration.
Department for Transport
View details
13 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Engine for growth: se…
Significant challenge persists in increasing diversity within the transport manufacturing sector.
There is a significant and complex challenge to be overcome in increasing diversity in the transport manufacturing sector. We welcome the Department for Transport’s commitment to work with industry to change outdated perceptions of manufacturing and strongly endorse the Government’s … Read more
Government Response
The government restates its commitment to increasing women’s representation in the advanced manufacturing sector to 35% of the workforce by 2035 and references work with industry via the Make UK Equality Taskforce.
Department for Transport
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 16 of 10 classified
Accepted 6
Acknowledged 8
Deferred 1
Rejected 1
Total 10 recs + 6 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
5 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Chief Executive, Society of Maritime Industries relating to Skills for transport manufacturing, dated 23 October 2025
Parliament page