More than 75% of UK employers now say that skills and experience matter more than university degrees when hiring. In an industry built on innovation and precision, that shift reshapes how engineering firms attract, assess and retain top talent.
At Platform Recruitment, we’ve seen this change first-hand. As long-term specialists in engineering, electronics, software, and life sciences recruitment, we work daily with clients who are re-evaluating what great talent really looks like.
Explore how we support smarter hiring: Our Solutions
1 | The State of UK Engineering Hiring in 2025
Engineering remains one of the UK’s most talent-scarce sectors.
- 59,000+ engineers are still needed every year to meet demand.
- 73% of employers say they cannot find candidates with the right skills.
- Hiring activity in engineering is up 22% year-on-year, even as general recruitment slows
.
This mix of high demand and limited supply is forcing businesses to widen their view of what “qualified” means.
2 | Why Degree-Led Hiring Models Are Breaking Down
For decades, employers relied on degrees as a shortcut for competence. In 2025, that approach is creating barriers instead of opportunities.
Too narrow a talent pool
Fewer young people are completing four-year engineering degrees, while bootcamps, apprenticeships, and micro-credentials are producing hands-on, work-ready talent.
Missed diversity
Rigid academic filters exclude career-changers, self-taught engineers, and those from non-traditional routes — limiting creativity and innovation.
Skills obsolescence
University curricula often lag behind new technologies such as edge AI, EV power systems, or additive manufacturing. A degree earned even five years ago may not reflect current expertise.
Longer hiring times
Employers that insist on traditional credentials take ~30% longer to fill roles.
3 | The Rise of Skill-Based Hiring
Skill-based hiring focuses on capability over credentials, testing what candidates can do rather than what’s written on their certificate.
According to LinkedIn’s Global Hiring Trends 2025:
- Job posts mentioning “skills required” rather than “degree required” grew 21% YoY.
- Candidates without degrees performed just as well or better in 81% of engineering roles tracked.
Common skill-based methods include:
- Practical assessments – schematic design, code review, or prototyping tasks.
- Portfolio reviews – real project outcomes and measurable results.
- Scenario interviews – assessing how candidates solve problems, not memorise theory.
4 | Salary and Market Comparison: Degree vs Skills
Skill-based hiring doesn’t mean paying less; in fact, capability often commands premium value.
| Role | Degree-Preferred Avg Salary | Skills-Assessed Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Electronics Design Engineer | £46 K | £48 K (+4 %) |
| Embedded Software Engineer | £50 K | £52 K (+3 %) |
| Test / Validation Engineer | £41 K | £43 K (+5 %) |
| Engineering Manager | £74 K | £76 K (+3 %) |
(Source: IET 2025 Salary Survey + Platform Recruitment placements)
Engineers who can demonstrate applied, multi-disciplinary skillsets consistently earn above-market salaries regardless of degree.
5 | Benefits for Employers
Broader Talent Access
Skill-based evaluation opens doors to apprentices, technicians, and mid-career changers — all often overlooked in degree-centric searches.
Faster Time-to-Hire
Removing unnecessary academic filters cuts average vacancy times by 25–40 %.
Better Retention
When hires are made on real-world capability and cultural fit, retention in the first 12 months improves by up to 30%.
Improved Diversity & Innovation
Teams built on varied experience outperform homogeneous ones; McKinsey (2025) links diverse technical teams with 19% higher innovation revenue.
6 | How to Transition to Skill-Based Hiring
- Redefine job descriptions – list measurable outputs, not degree requirements.
- Use technical assessments early – PCB challenges, firmware tests, simulation tasks.
- Introduce structured scoring – evaluate candidates consistently on ability, attitude, and problem-solving.
- Train hiring managers – bias awareness and interviewing for competence.
- Partner with specialist recruiters – who can technically screen candidates and benchmark salary data accurately.
7 | Mini Case Study — An Electronics Firm Rewires Its Hiring
A Cambridge-based electronics company came to Platform Recruitment after struggling for six months to hire a Senior Hardware Engineer. Their degree requirement cut out experienced contract engineers with proven PCB design and EMC compliance skills.
After we introduced a skill-based shortlisting process, combining a schematic test and portfolio review, they filled the role in three weeks.
The successful hire, a self-taught engineer with 12 years of defence-sector experience, has since led two successful product launches.
Result: Time-to-hire reduced by 65% and retention after 12 months = 100 %.
8 | What Employers Should Measure
| Metric | Traditional Hiring | Skill-Based Hiring |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Hire | 60–75 days | 35–45 days |
| Offer Acceptance Rate | 62 % | 84 % |
| First-Year Retention | 68 % | 88 % |
(Platform Recruitment Engineering Benchmark Report 2025)
Tracking these KPIs proves that ability-led hiring is not only faster - it’s more sustainable.
9 | Why This Matters for the Future of UK Engineering
Emerging technologies, from quantum sensors to EV power systems, are evolving too quickly for degree syllabi to keep pace. The firms thriving in 2025 are those that:
- Upskill existing staff continuously.
- Hire for learning agility and potential.
- Leverage recruiters who understand niche skillsets and transferable expertise.
By focusing on potential, not pedigree, you future-proof both your workforce and your brand reputation.
10 | How Platform Recruitment Can Help
At Platform Recruitment, we:
- Build custom assessment frameworks for electronics, software, and hardware roles.
- Maintain pre-qualified talent pools across the UK’s top innovation hubs.
- Advise on salary benchmarking and market positioning.
- Support both permanent and contract hiring strategies.
Our clients include start-ups, SMEs, and global manufacturers who rely on our data-driven, people-first approach to engineering recruitment.
Discover how we can help you hire for skill, speed and fit:
Our Solutions | Live Roles
Hiring for Tomorrow, Not Yesterday
In 2025, the best engineers won’t always have a degree, but they’ll have the skills to drive progress.
Companies that recognise and reward capability over credentials will attract stronger talent, boost innovation, and build more inclusive teams.
Skill-based hiring isn’t a trend - it’s the new standard.
At Platform Recruitment, we’re proud to help UK engineering employers evolve their hiring strategy for the future of work.
Explore how we support smarter hiring: Our Solutions
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