More than 60 delegates from across Scotland’s engineering, manufacturing, energy, and skills communities came together today for the Engineering Skills Summit 2026, hosted in partnership with Scottish Engineering.
The summit brought together employers, colleges, training providers and sector organisations to identify priority skills needs, address workforce challenges, and agree collective actions that strengthen Scotland’s engineering talent pipeline. Panels focused on Energy & Utilities, Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing, and Marine, Aerospace & Defence, with delegates contributing practical recommendations through interactive breakout sessions.
Angela Cox, Principal and Chief Executive of Ayrshire College, said:
Bringing over 50 leaders from across Scotland’s engineering and skills landscape into one room demonstrates the strength of our collective commitment to the sector’s future. By working in genuine partnership, we can ensure that learners and apprentices are equipped with the skills, innovation mindset and opportunities they need to thrive. Ayrshire College is proud to play a central role in shaping a modern, inclusive and future focused engineering workforce for Scotland.
Paul Sheerin, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering, said:
Today’s discussions underline just how much we can achieve when Scotland’s engineering and skills communities come together with a shared purpose. The challenges facing our sector are real, but so too is the collective ambition in this room. By aligning industry insight with the strengths of our education and training partners, we can build the advanced skills, adaptability and innovation capacity that Scotland needs for the future. This summit is another important step in making that happen, and it reinforces my confidence in what we can achieve together.
The event concluded with a shared commitment from partners to progress agreed actions, increase collaboration across the sector, and inform national planning. This collective effort will support long-term, sector led programmes that enhance recruitment, retention, and training pathways, helping to build a resilient, future ready engineering workforce for Scotland.