YORKSHIRE manufacturers have warned about a continuing "yawning gap" between the demand for and supply of workers with the right skills.

Manufacturers' body EEF says over the next three years, industry bosses expect a significant increase in the demand for skills, but almost three quarters (72 per cent) are worried about how this demand is going to be met.

It says 73 per cent of manufacturers have faced difficulties recruiting skilled workers in the last three years.

The number of hard-to-fill vacancies in manufacturing remains stubbornly high at 35 per cent, even though most firms offer competitive pay and training and development opportunities.

EEF says 79 per cent of companies plan to recruit manufacturing and engineering apprentices in the next 12 months.

It says the Government has failed to get to grips with the "skills crunch" affecting manufacturers which threatens the UK's ability to be a power player in the digital industrial revolution .

Andy Tuscher, EEF Yorkshire regional director, said: “Despite multiple warnings about the UK’s yawning skills gap, the dial hasn’t moved since 2012. Manufacturers continue to struggle to find the right people with the right skills – undoubtedly this has led to lost opportunities for employers, would-be employees and the UK economy.

“Had manufacturers not already been taking action we would arguably already be over the cliff-edge and not just approaching it.

"We are just about treading water today and the struggle is only going to get harder. The demand for skills is going to soar in response to manufacturers’ productivity plans and their ambitions around Industry 4.0. Getting the right quantity and quality in place will be critical, which is why we are urging the Government to take firm action now.

“Government must match the ambitions of industry and ensure that the education and training system delivers the skills that employers require. Policies must help, not hinder firms.

"They should provide support, rather than hitting employers with additional costs that could potentially hold them back. Above all, an April 2017 start date for the apprenticeship levy is looking increasingly ambitious.

"A patched and piecemeal implementation will cause complexity and confusion for employers, apprentices and providers alike. Without a single, coherent levy platform ready well before April 2017, the levy launch risks sinking.”

EEF warns that the challenges of finding, funding, retaining and retraining skilled workers are all likely to increase from 2016 onwards with many employers’ forced to be pare back their plans due to additional costs imposed through Government policy.