A new study of manufacturing leaders has revealed a worrying 'skills gap' picture, with two thirds believing the picture has got worse in the last six months. Canvassing 107 companies, the report found 62% of them suffering from an acute skills shortage, and just 38% believe the government will be able to take action to solve the crisis. Over half admitted that they are struggling to recruit or retain existing staff. James Worthington, co-managing director at MyWorkwear, which conducted the survey, commented: "You can't really make the most of new opportunities, if you don't have the talent in place to meet customer requirements.”