‘Skilled workers wanted’: The EU’s defence industry struggles to find the right talent

Europe’s defence sector needs more than just funding— it needs talent, industry representatives say. 

“This is certainly one of the periods impacted by the most intense search for new hires in Leonardo’s history, even more intense than in previous conflicts,” the Italian-based aerospace, defence and security company Leonardo told Euronews in a statement, referring to the war in Iraq or the conflict in Afghanistan.   

Staff and skills shortages are not particular to the Italian company, but a "shared concern" for Europe's defence sector, which is currently working with national and European institutions on how to bridge the existing gaps across the EU to boost much-needed production.

“The Aerospace, Defence and Security industry in Europe, and even more so countries like Italy and the UK – two of Leonardo’s home markets – are experiencing increasing difficulties in matching workforce demand with the right skill mix,” Leonardo added.  

“Rapidly hiring a large number of specialised personnel is a significant challenge, especially in an already tense labour market,” a spokesperson of the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) also stressed.  

Leonardo, an international industrial group with 53,000 employees worldwide, argued that the growing difficulties are not only conflict-driven, but also due to the rapid development and integration of digital technology across the industry.  

With the defence sector getting more involved every day in developing new technologies and using artificial intelligence, big data, advanced analytics, quantum technologies and so on, it is also increasingly competing with big tech companies for the best available talent.   

“As technology continues to evolve, the demand for new skills sets will inevitably increase (and) some of these competencies may currently be scarce in the market,” a spokesperson for Indra, a Spanish information technology and defence systems company, told Euronews.  

Geopolitical elements also play a role in the selection and recruitment of personnel, given the nature of the aerospace and defence industry. It is "impossible" for large companies to recruit from countries that have a very good skills base but are outside political and strategic alliances, another industry representative pointed out. 

However, the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has changed public perception and highlighted the vital role of the defence industry in protecting our society and democracy, the ASD spokesperson argued, adding that from this perspective it's now easier to attract candidates to a career in defence.

To mitigate the problem, companies are investing in internal talent development, training of junior professionals, continuous offering of mentorship programmes, hands-on experience, to name but a few strategies.  

"Various recruitment strategies are being explored, including attracting talent from other EU countries willing to relocate to Spain and establishing local teams in other regions with the necessary competencies to support international projects," says the Indra spokesperson, whose company employs 57,000 people and has a local presence in 46 countries.

What will the EU need in coming years?

In 2023, the EU defence industry generated around 581,000 jobs and a turnover of €158.8 billion. Estimates suggest that the projection will continue to grow as the continent rearms itself to ensure its peace and security in an increasingly multipolar world.   

The EU is counting on its own first-ever defence industrial strategy to boost military production within the bloc. But manufacturers are also calling on the EU to provide more long-term guarantees on orders and investment, which would also help to recruit staff. 

The 2024 strategy stresses that the industry's labour and skills shortages are the result of past underinvestment in new defence programmes and the sector's lack of attractiveness.  

"Europeans have neglected the defence sector for so many decades so governments, armed forces and industry are playing catch-up for over-investing in the peace dividend that existed in war until Russia invaded Ukraine," Daniel Fiott, of the Brussels Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy, told Euronews.   

"The brutal reality is that Europe's defence sector is simply not ready for war. This needs to change, and fast," the professor added.   

The European Defence Agency (EDA) said the EU is closely monitoring the situation and is actively addressing the issue of skills gaps in the defence sector, while fostering collaboration between industry, academia, and government to address skills gaps and develop key defence capabilities.  

According to EDA research, digital skills (including AI and machine learning) will be in high demand in the bloc's defence industry in the coming years. And autonomy engineers, cybersecurity experts, data and information processing engineers, and software designers will be among the most sought-after professionals in the sector.   

Traditional industry segments such as welding, sheet metal fabrication and assembly, as well as project managers, will also need skilled personnel to understand the military's technical requirements and manage the complexity of such projects, EDA's research found.  

“Efforts are underway — including by industry — to address the skills issue, for example, through programs such as Assets+, an alliance for strategic skills in emerging defence technologies,” the ASD spokesperson told Euronews.  

“However, the scale of the challenge requires a broader and more assertive approach, with governments and academia playing a key role,” he concluded.