Episode 20 Engineer a Career

In this episode on the skills gap, Samantha spoke to Connor McLeod, recruiter at Experis and co-founder of Open Circuit Scotland, about what the skills gap looks like from a recruiter's perspective, why it's a structural issue with an aging workforce and fewer entry-level opportunities, how the defence sector is pulling talent away with better salaries and long-term security, and why the shortage of specialists means companies should really be recruiting 150 engineers for every 100 roles they advertise.B2Be DifferentExperisOpen Circuit Scotland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode on sustainability in the sector, I spoke with Sam Grace, joint managing director at Here's the Plan, about how engineering and manufacturing businesses can reduce energy costs and carbon emissions through technologies such as like solar PV, voltage optimisation and electric vehicle charging, why sustainability is a long-term investment not a quick win, how their B-Corp certification ensures they walk the walk on sustainability, and why marketers have a critical role in communicating sustainability credentials to stakeholders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode on the skills gap, Samantha spoke to Joe Pacitti, Managing Director of CeeD, about the challenges CeeD members face, why industry must take responsibility alongside government and education, how peer-to-peer learning and practical work experience help attract and retain talent, the importance of talking about all engineering and manufacturing sectors not just the supposedly glamorous ones, and why Scotland risks losing young talent to opportunities south of the border if companies don't build stronger early connections with potential employees.CeeDB2Be Different Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Steve speaks with Hari Jayaraman from Hale Hamilton Marketing, who's spent over two decades working in both B2C media and B2B sectors, about what B2B businesses can learn from B2C marketing, why emotional marketing and distinctiveness matter in a sector that plays it safe with features, and why the most important shift is to stop marketing to companies and start marketing to people.B2Be DifferentHale Hamilton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode on sustainability, I spoke to Justine Scullion from Circulus, a circular economy business focused on electronics, about how repair and reuse extends product life and saves money, how much of the engineering and manufacturing sector still uses a linear take-make-dispose model, and why you need to build sustainability into employee KPIs across the business.B2Be DifferentCirculus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode on skills, I spoke with Jim Fowlie from Sensor-Works and chair of the Training Working Group at the AEMT, about why younger people don't always know what engineering opportunities are available to them, how networking and exposure to different engineering activities can shape careers, why smaller companies struggle to train new talent, and the critical role that professional associations play in connecting the next generation with mentorship and real-world possibilities.B2Be DifferentAEMTSensor-Works Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was really excited about speaking to this week’s guest as she was highly recommended by Keri Craig in our first sustainability episode (that’s episode 3). I spoke to Jane Dennyson, founder of Thrive Consulting about how ESG credentials are now baked into tendering requirements, why measurement and evidence are essential to avoid greenwashing accusations, and how sustainability is fundamentally about making businesses more competitive, resilient and successful rather than just a nice to do.Some more information about legislation Jane mentioned: 1 - UK CBAM will apply to certain carbon-intensive imported goods from 1 January 2027 and aims to create a comparable carbon price, not a general tax on all products. 2- EU CBAM is already in its transitional phase, with the definitive period from 1 January 2026. UK CBAM starts 1 January 2027. 3- The Clean Industry Bonus is specifically tied to fixed and floating offshore wind applicants under CfD allocation rounds. It supports investment in more sustainable supply chains, not simply “use UK suppliers”. Government guidance says applicants can get extra CfD revenue support if they invest in more sustainable supply chains. 4-UK SRS exists now; FCA rules are expected from 1 January 2027 for listed issuers, subject to final FCA policy. It will not apply to every company immediately.B2Be DifferentJane's LinkedInThrive ConsultingEpisode 3 - where Keri sang Jane's praises Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Samantha spoke to Josh Robertson, founder of Engineer a Career and host of the Engineer a Career podcast, about why he sees the skills gap as a breakdown in the system between sparking the engineering mindset in schools and getting people into industry, why a third of engineering graduates don't work in engineering, and how organisations can build their talent pipeline by engaging with students earlier and showing authentic stories about their people.B2Be DifferentEngineer a CareerThe Engineer a Career podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Samantha shared her research findings on the skills gap in engineering and manufacturing through third-party reports and from all of the expert guests we have spoken to about the skills gap during this series. She also announced our full-day event in Edinburgh on 2nd June in partnership with CeeD to explore collaborative solutions to this critical challenge.CeeD event on the 2nd June in EdinburghLinks to research referenced in this podcast:Scottish Engineering skills reportMake UK Industrial Strategy Skills Commission, Skills for Success: The Reforms Essential to Our Economic FutureBarclays Corporate Banking / The Manufacturer, Now Hiring: Understanding and Tackling the Skills Shortage in UK ManufacturingFabian Society / Youth Futures Foundation / CIPD, Levying Up: How to Make the Growth and Skills Levy Work (August 2025) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode on sustainability in engineering & manufacturing, Samantha spoke to Ryan McCuaig, lead product development engineer at Renewable Parts, about the circular economy. He spoke about how they're remanufacturing wind turbine gearboxes and other critical components, not just keeping them out of skips, but to perform even better than when they were new, getting turbines back online in under a week, and how SMEs are leading the charge on the circular economy across all sectors. Since we recorded this conversation, the team at Renewable Parts have been recognised with the CeeD Circular Economy award for this outstanding work.B2Be DifferentRenewable PartsOrganisations mentioned by Ryan:Ellen MacArthur FoundationZero Waste ScotlandCeeDUniversity of Strathclyde Advanced Research Materials LaboratoryNational Manufacturing Institute of Scotland (NMIS) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.