Overcoming some of the skills shortage squeeze with strategic partnerships
8 May 2026 
Even with advances in sensor data and plant integration, one of the biggest challenges for plant leaders and engineers remains an ageing workforce. So how can companies navigate this in the short- to mid-term this year and beyond? Andy Fletcher, Bearing & Maintenance Product Manager, at Acorn Industrial Services, looks at the talent pipeline blockage, and the need for smarter ways of working with suppliers to help small and medium-sized companies navigate the squeeze.
The talent pipeline being squeezed
With firms increasingly losing ‘tribal knowledge’, as older team members retire faster than they can be replaced – or their knowledge digitised – the ongoing shortage of skilled technicians and engineers is continuing to put pressure on plant and asset performance.
The apprentice gap – Did you know that around 20% of UK engineers are due to retire in the next five years?[i] And according to recent apprenticeship data, engineering now has the most severe deficit of all technical trades analysed. In fact, there were 145 job openings for every one completed apprenticeship – which is equivalent to more than 46,000 unfulfilled engineering positions.[ii]
Trying to upskill existing team – Combined with the changing workforce landscape is the drive towards digitalisation and industry 4.0, which is creating a need for existing engineers to be upskilled to balance the tension of more data, technology and performance expectations than ever before. Also, today’s technicians and engineers are being required to become master jugglers – keeping legacy systems running, whilst navigating which areas would most benefit from new sensors, automation solutions, predictive maintenance and data analytics.
Discerning potential – Another growing area is that of being able to discern which AI-driven monitoring, advanced materials and modular systems will be useful for longer-term operational success and which won’t. The skill lies in being able to delve behind the hype, to see if the new solutions offer discernible benefits that will work with real-world applications.
Smarter ways of working with suppliers
The challenge for small- to mid-sized plant and works businesses is how to ensure the existing workforce is equipped for tomorrow’s challenges, whilst ensuring that today’s plant is functioning well. The most successful at upskilling their workforces for mid- to long-term are:
- Embedding learning into real work
- Focusing on the highest-impact skills
- Steadily modernising as appropriate
- Implementing smarter ways of working with suppliers.
Those manufacturers who continue to rely on traditional ‘customer/supplier models’ will keep feeling the skills shortage. This is because they will be trying to rely on in-house capability, rather than making the most of capability-sharing supplier partnerships. So, what should manufacturers be looking for when choosing a strategic supplier and what are some of the benefits?
How to choose a strategic supplier
- Choose suppliers that can provide application engineering support, not just product specifications
- Ensure they can provide comprehensive troubleshooting, with onsite visits if needed
- Opt for a supplier that offers training to boost your team’s operational knowledge and can tailor sessions to suit specific needs
- Choose a team with a track record of collaboration with their manufacturers, so that your engineering team can be extended through your suppliers.
Saving money, trouble shooting and remaining competitive
Acorn supports manufacturers in the shorter- and longer-term by helping them to save money and remain competitive. With many years of experience as a full-service partner to manufacturers of varying sizes, Acorn provides everything from entry-level condition monitoring to scalable IIoT and tailored monitoring solutions. The team also offers expert data analysis support, bespoke maintenance reviews, root cause analysis, total cost of ownership assessments, product training and even maintenance equipment hire service.
Navigating an ageing engineering workforce is only one of the challenges facing today’s manufacturers. However, by leveraging the expertise and technologies of suppliers such as Acorn, manufacturers can reduce unnecessary maintenance, increase Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), improve safety and pilot these turbulent times more securely.
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Troubleshooting in action
Acorn was called in to help an offshore product engineering company solve a problem they were having with blackening grease on some large oscillating bearings being used in a tests rig destined for offshore usage.
Issues highlighted included:
- Due to the position of the bearings, the lubrication was being added from above, when they weren’t in full oscillation, which led to dissipation issues.
- The grease was getting hot and cooking.
- False brinelling wear was being caused to the bearings as a result of both radial and axial load and the bearings having only small angles of oscillation.
The rig’s design team had originally wanted to use spherical roller bearings to take advantage of their reduced resistance and subsequent ease of movement, compared to spherical plain bearings. However, Acorn did a range of lifetime calculations on different bearing types – considering load and rotational constraints – to see if the same spherical roller bearing efficiency levels could be achieved by using smaller bearings, to minimise the effect of false brinelling as much as possible.
The solution: It became clear that the spherical plain bearings originally recommended by Acorn were the only way to ensure bearing longevity and performance, as the test rigs were translated into their real-life equivalents offshore. As a result, these bearings were installed, and a grease was specified that had a higher operating temperature. The result was a solution that minimised the risk of unplanned bearing failure on the actual rig.
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For more information contact Acorn Industrial Services on 0800 8766 441, or email: enquiries@acorn-ind.co.uk or visit www.acorn-ind.co.uk.
[i] https://www.manpower.co.uk/insights/blogs/2025/06/30/uk-engineering-labour-market—squeezed-to-the-limits?utm_source=chatgpt.com&referer=chatgpt.com
[ii] Engineerlive.com Data reveals acute shortfall threatening UK’s technical workforce, 27th Jan 2026.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/acorn-industrial-services-ltd/