'Critical skills challenge' faces Portsmouth and Hampshire defence and aerospace sectors - jobs warning issued

Skills shortages in two vital sectors puts Portsmouth and the country’s economy at risk, the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce has warned.

Chief executive and executive chairman Ross McNally believes critical gaps in the defence and aerospace industries poses major problems. He said urgent action is needed to maintain Hampshire’s position as a nationally significant centre for both sectors, with a shortage of workplace skills needing to be addressed.

The organisation’s research white paper, Shortage to Skills Strategy: A Blueprint for Defence and Aerospace Talent in Hampshire, identifies a lack of licensed aircraft engineers, precision machinists, CNC operators, composites specialists, microcontroller technicians and advanced engineering professionals. It also highlighted growing concerns over the loss of experienced engineers through retirement and an insufficient pipeline of younger people entering the sector.

Mr McNally said: “This is not simply a local recruitment issue. Hampshire’s defence and aerospace capability is vital to the UK’s strategic industrial and national security infrastructure, meaning the consequences of failing to develop the workforce extend well beyond Hampshire. If we get this critical skills challenge wrong, the impact will be felt not only in our region but across the UK’s defence and aerospace supply chain.”

The report was developed the consultancy firm CHLLNGR as part of the Chamber-led Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Hampshire and The Solent. It calls for a co-ordinated employer -led approach to skills, moving beyond recruitment and focusing on developing, retaining, and attracting talent.

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One key recommendation involves creating a ‘defence engineering skills accord’, which brings major contractors, SMEs and education providers together to share workforce forecasts. It also calls for an ‘engineer pipeline dashboard’. which tracks apprenticeships, engineering licence achievements, retirement trends and regional training capacity.

The Chamber also called for clearer routes into licensed aircraft engineering, expanded work placements and employer-set projects, industry-standard tooling in colleges, and stronger employer involvement in practical assessments and curriculum design - alongside other methods of bringing more people back into the workforce and limiting the impending impact of AI. The organisation is also backing proposals for a Ministry of Defence (MoD) skills liaison office in Hampshire.

Mr McNally said: “There is already a huge amount of capability in Hampshire, but it is not always connected effectively. We now call on businesses, education providers and government stakeholders to engage with our recommendations and help develop a coordinated implementation programme.”