The large well-known UK defence contractor I work for is desperate to expand but simply cannot recruit enough trained engineers. They’ve been recruiting like mad for the last couple of years. Our customers all want more production and faster deliveries, especially since the Ukraine events but we’ve let the defence industrial base atrophy and now we can’t increase our pitiful capacity. Short term focussed management and politicians.
Like many others, my father predicted all this 25/30 years ago.