Demand for professionals in the UK’s engineering sector grew year over year in July, according to the latest Professional Recruitment Trends report from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) and Staffing Industry Analysts.

The insight, based on analytics provided by Burning Glass, indicated that while a significant proportion of the demand stems from London and the South East, a number of regional hubs are emerging. It also indicated that high-demand skills continue to reflect the main areas of engineering, including civil, electoral and mechanical.

Geographical analysis of the data shows that while demand is greatest across Greater London and the South East job concentration is greater in the travel-to-work areas of Cambridge and Derby. The analysis indicates that the South East accounted for 15% of the postings, while Greater London and the East of England accounted for 13% and 12% respectively.

“Although some commentators initially expressed concerns over the outlook of the UK’s engineering sector post-Brexit, there are a number of positive indicators of growth in the sector,” said APSCo Chief Executive Ann Swain, commenting on the report. “Balfour Beatty has merged its engineering services and engineering construction businesses to form Balfour Beatty Kilpatrick, a mechanical and electrical engineering specialist, with a circa £300 million revenue. New engineering hubs are also emerging across the UK, with Cambridge, Derby, Birmingham and Bristol, all likely to benefit from an uplift in demand.”

In August, it was reported that rail operator Abellio had been awarded the East Anglia rail franchise ordering more than 1,000 new carriages and engines to run on the line as part of a £1.4 billion investment. As part of the deal, Bombardier will build 660 carriages at its Derby factory, guaranteeing jobs there for the next decade.

“The skills in high demand come as no surprise, and cover a number of the main engineering disciplines,” Swain said. “While the highest growth skills, those which have experience the steepest uplift in demand, include draughting and engineering design skills. Demand for professionals with knowledge of Revit, a modelling software used by structural engineers, has more than doubled since 2013. The skills gap remains a pivotal point of discussion in the sector, and in recent months there has been a real push to promote engineering as a career of choice for school leavers.”

Professional Recruitment Trends provides original monthly data and analysis on the professional staffing market. It is produced jointly by APSCo and Staffing Industry Analysts.