Automation needs technicians as much as algorithms
Warehouse automation is advancing quickly, but the technology will not run itself. Forklift trucks, shuttle systems and robotic equipment increasingly depend on batteries, electronics, sensors, software and connectivity. Industrial companies therefore face a practical question: where will the technicians capable of maintaining these systems come from?
Apprenticeships could become a central part of the answer. In England, apprenticeship starts increased by 4.1% in 2024/25 to 353,500, while participation reached 761,480. Higher-level programmes are expanding particularly quickly: starts at Level 4 and above rose by 15.1%, and degree apprenticeships represented 17.1% of all starts.
The technical skills gap is moving down the supply chain
However, the overall growth masks a concern for equipment-intensive industries. Traditional Level 2 apprenticeships are declining. Engineering and technology recorded more than 100,000 starts in England during 2024/25, yet EngineeringUK reports that engineering-related starts remained 9% below their 2014/15 level. Level 2 engineering starts have fallen by more than half since 2017/18.
Recruitment remains difficult. The IET found that 76% of engineering employers struggle to find people with important skills. For logistics operators, this shortage can affect uptime, maintenance costs and the ability to introduce new automated processes.
Training as operational resilience
The future forklift technician will need a broader profile than a traditional mechanic. Battery systems, embedded electronics, diagnostics, industrial software and autonomous functions are becoming part of everyday maintenance. Similar capabilities are required by engineers supporting automated storage and retrieval systems and warehouse robotics.
Germany illustrates how structured industry training can support this transition. Although 461,900 people began dual vocational training there in 2025, 2.8% fewer than a year earlier, more than 1.2 million people remained in dual training at year-end.
Intralogistics manufacturer STILL has 241 young people in training across eight German sites after welcoming 58 new apprentices and dual-study students. The company also offered positions to all 34 members of its previous Hamburg cohort, and all accepted. For industrial employers, that is more than a recruitment exercise: it is a way to build technical capacity before automation projects expose the next skills bottleneck.
