UK manufacturing is at a turning point.
According to the latest ONS figures, there are 61,000 job vacancies in the sector — the highest level in 20 years. And with one in five engineers set to retire each year until 2026, businesses face losing decades of experience and know-how.
Manufacturers know they need to invest in skills. In fact, Make UK found that half of employers have increased their training spend for both shop floor and office-based staff in recent years. But for many small and medium-sized businesses, finding the time — and the budget — to upskill teams can be a challenge.
That’s where Made Smarter comes in.
Tap into Digital Expertise with a Funded Intern
Our Digital Internship Programme connects manufacturing SMEs with talented students and graduates ready to support your digital journey.
Whether it’s trialling new technologies, or integrating systems — a Digital Intern brings fresh thinking, practical skills, and a new perspective to your team.
And the best part?
The internship is funded — so you get the support without the financial strain.
Digital Interns don’t just help improve processes; they help you build in-house capability. Your team learns by doing, gaining the confidence and skills to take your digital transformation forward.
Launched Nationally from April 2025
Thanks to national funding, Made Smarter internships will be available across the UK from April 2025.
We match students and recent graduates — from disciplines like Robotics, Data Science, Product Design, and Digital Manufacturing — with manufacturing SMEs ready to tackle real-world challenges. Interns are supported by experienced mentors and guided through delivering impactful digital projects.
Real Impact: Case Study
A distillery in Salford Quays, brought on two Digital Interns to review and improve the way their systems talk to each other — from stock and accounting to e-commerce and production.
Lucy McAvoy, Sales and Marketing Director, said: “As well as gaining insights into our platforms for stock inventory, accounting, e-commerce and production, our Made Smarter interns were able to apply additional programmes new to the business within the platforms to extract and interpret data to inform the relevant department within the business.
“They have improved how the platforms communicate and integrate with each other by applying bespoke code and conversation techniques. This has had a direct impact on production schedules and stock control, improved sales forecasting and the information and data which ultimately feeds into our financial management.”
Victory Ogbebor, one of the interns and a Data Science master’s student at the University of Salford, said: “The internship was fantastic because I gained paid experience while working on impactful projects in the business. I was also able to pass my analytics and dashboard modelling skills to others in the business.”
Ready to boost your business with digital skills?