1. International Talent: Tapping Into Graduate Visa Candidates
Hiring from overseas isn’t always as simple as it sounds – and we won’t sugar-coat it. Sponsoring international candidates can be a complex and costly process, especially since Brexit, which is why many manufacturing businesses might shy away from it.
But here’s where it gets interesting: not all international candidates need immediate sponsorship.
We’re increasingly placing skilled maintenance engineers who are already in the UK on Graduate Visas. These are international students who’ve completed engineering-related degrees here and are now eligible to work full-time for two years without any sponsorship or cost to the employer.
That means your business gets access to skilled, motivated engineers with UK qualifications – and for the first two years, there’s zero cost or paperwork involved.
It’s also worth noting that the average job tenure in maintenance engineering roles is around three years. So, for most businesses, a Graduate Visa worker is a perfect fit. If they prove themselves and you want to keep them on beyond two years, the Skilled Worker visa route becomes a viable next step – and by then, you know they’re worth the investment. And with such a skills shortage in the UK right now, this hopefully should be a fairly straightforward process. After five years in the UK, they can then apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Key benefits:
- No sponsorship cost for the first two years
- Candidates are already in the UK and work-ready
- Skilled, qualified, and often UK-educated
- Clear long-term pathway to sponsorship, if needed
We know this isn’t the right route for every employer – and yes, there are a few more hoops to jump through further down the line. But in a market where skilled maintenance engineers are in short supply, it’s a practical, underused option that more employers should be exploring.
View our handy UK Sponsorship Roadmap: from Graduate Visa to Skilled Worker
2. Ex-Forces: Skilled, Disciplined, and Ready to Work
The Armed Forces community is another hidden gem. Every year, thousands of service leavers transition into civilian life – many with extensive engineering training and practical, hands-on experience maintaining complex machinery and systems.
What sets ex-forces candidates apart isn’t just their technical ability. It’s their discipline, resilience, and commitment to getting the job done – often under pressure and in challenging environments. These traits translate incredibly well into maintenance roles in manufacturing.
A great example of this in action is a UK-based global pharmaceutical manufacturer. After being introduced to ex-forces talent as a potential source of skilled engineers, they embraced it fully. Today, former service personnel make up the majority of their engineering workforce (with many managers having been there for 8-10 years) – proving just how effective and valuable this talent pool can be when given the opportunity.
Key benefits:
- Strong problem-solving skills and adaptability
- Ready-to-go work ethic and team mindset
- Often available quickly with minimal onboarding
If your business is finding it hard to attract experienced engineers, ex-forces candidates could be exactly what you’re looking for – not just a short-term fix, but long-term assets to your team.
Rethinking the Talent Pipeline
The shortage of UK-based maintenance engineers isn’t going away overnight. But by opening up your recruitment strategy to include these two often-overlooked groups, you’ll expand your talent pool dramatically – and possibly find your best hires yet.
Whether it’s tapping into global expertise or giving a highly capable veteran a new mission, the talent is out there. It just takes a bit of confidence – and sometimes a slightly different route – to find it.