April Labour Market Information Bulletin
Your monthly update for labour market information with local and national news.
Don’t forget – you can see local job vacancies our own Online Jobs Board.
Table of Contents
New Winchester restaurant to create jobs
50 hospitality jobs, full and part-time positions are to become available with the opening of Giggling Squid Thai restaurant in Winchester this summer. Giggling Squid replaces the premises once occupied by the Slug and Lettuce.
Good news for Isle of Wight
The Wight Shipyard Company are merging with multinational shipbuilder OCEA which will enable the shipyard to double in size and create employment opportunities.
Travelodge plans for Hampshire
The Daily Echo have announced Travelodge’s plans to open four new hotels in Hampshire in Basingstoke, Farnham, Lymington and Southsea. This is part of Travelodge’s wider plans to develop many more hotels across the UK, Ireland and Spain.
Southampton company expansion creates jobs
The Daily Echo report on the Circle Cloud Communications expansion into larger premises in Southampton which are to create around 40 jobs.
Minimum wage rise starts this month
The minimum wage increases this month. The new rates are:
| Rate from April 2022 | Current rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| National Living Wage | £9.50 | £8.91 | 6.6% |
| 21-22 Year Old Rate | £9.18 | £8.36 | 9.8% |
| 18-20 Year Old Rate | £6.83 | £6.56 | 4.1% |
| 16-17 Year Old Rate | £4.81 | £4.62 | 4.1% |
| Apprentice Rate | £4.81 | £4.30 | 11.9% |
| Accommodation Offset | £8.70 | £8.36 | 4.1% |
Marks and Spencer are to raise their minimum pay for staff to £10 an hour to match other retailers such as Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons and Sainsburys. Those working in a London M and S store will get £11.25 an hour.
Missile manufacturer recruitment drive
MBDA, a global missile manufacturer is, according to a report in Business Live, planning to recruit hundreds of people across its UK operations this year. The company plan to recruit for various engineering roles as well as roles in customer support, procurement, sales, manufacturing, quality and management.
The UK Tech sector
In the most recent financial year DCMS Cyber Sector report highlights that the UK tech sector has:
- generated £10.1bn in revenue
- seen employment rise by 13%
- created 6,000 new jobs
- 52,700 people working in cyber. For more information click on the link.
Flexible apprenticeships
The new flexible apprenticeships announced by the government are designed to create jobs for people in sectors which boost the economy such as the construction and creative sectors. The NHS and the BBC are amongst employers who will offer these flexible apprenticeships, which aim to give apprentices experience across a number of placements. 1,500 placements are to be made available.
Top LGBT+ employers
Stonewall have listed the top 100 UK LGBT+ employers. To access the complete list please click on the link.
Apprenticeship resources
Amazing Apprenticeships have launched a collection of short apprenticeship films across a number of sectors. There are also suggestions for teachers and careers advisers to use alongside these resources. In addition, there are some new subject posters.
Apprenticeships – Parents pack
The March edition of the resources for parents and guardians is available here. This month’s edition includes:
advice and tips around how your child’s hobbies can demonstrate their skills to employers
- an overview of the Health T Level
- a deep dive into apprenticeships in logistics
- an apprentice case study
- information about the support the DWP can provide for children
Busy Bees are seeking apprentices across the UK
700 new apprentices are being sought by Busy Bees childcare nurseries. Those successful will be working towards a Level 3 qualification in Childcare and Education and be offered a permanent job on completion of their apprenticeship. Progression to become a Level 5 Early Years Practitioner is also possible.
Most sought-after job
New research by Adzuna suggests that analysis reveals that a Pet Sitter is the most sought-after job despite the low salary. The top ten jobs being sought are:
The top ten jobs were:
- Pet Sitter
- Cabin Crew
- Aircraft Cleaner
- Shelf Filler
- Chauffeur
- Passenger Services Agent
- Crop Production Worker
- Animal Handler
- NHS Call Handler
- Market Researcher
Nursing vacancies
The Nursing Times reports that nursing vacancies are up nine per cent and vacancies stood at 39,652 as at December 2021. The South West and London saw a 14% rise in the year to December 2021, whilst the South East saw an increase of two per cent. For more data see link. The Guardian also reports on the staffing crisis within the NHS including a requirement for 8,158 doctors.
Dutch on-demand jobs platform launches in London
London has a new on demand jobs platform which matches 18 – 25-year olds who wish to fit temporary recruitment around their studies or their own businesses. Some large well known commercial clients are signed up to YoungOnes to cope with staff shortages.
Top 22 British women business leaders 2022 (no link)
There are three reports in Business Live to inspire women to succeed. The first profiles the top 22 British women business leaders for 2022.
The second profiles the top 22 women who are rising stars for 2022. They include include Plymouth businesswoman Samantha Bruckner, founder of Toddlekind, Ricki Lawal from South London who owns Selfmade Candle, Rachel Pendered, co- founder of London based creative agency Media Zoo and Melissa Thorpe, CEO of Spaceport Cornwall.
Thirdly, there is a report on black-owned start-ups supported by the Princes Trust Enterprise Programme. These include Dorset based entrepreneur Isabella Mukasa who runs her Bournemouth based shea butter craft business and London-based Farhana Ibrahim, founder of Binta’s Kitchen.
Government initiatives to level up employment opportunities for women
The government has announced two new initiatives to level up employment opportunities for women:
- Participating employers will run pilots aimed at closing salary gaps by publishing salaries on all job adverts
- New ‘returners’ programme to support women into STEM roles after taking time out to care for loved ones
The South West’s growing tech sector
Falmouth Packet report on a new study from Whitecap Consulting which reveals that the South West’s tech sector is set to grow by nearly £20bn, creating 125,000 new jobs by 2026. The article also reports that of the 12 major regions in the UK the South West has the fifth largest tech sector, with job creation due to rise by an additional 126,212 by 2026.
Working in the seafood industry
The UK seafood industry is seeking people across a range of roles. Click on the link above
for resources related to this business for jobseekers, including information on career paths and case studies.
The UK film industry
A new report on the UK film industry suggests that 40,000 jobs need to be filled by 2025 with 20 new sites in the pipeline. A range of roles are likely to be available as the expansion of existing studios takes place, with a ‘severe skills shortage’ of set designers, bookkeepers, special effects experts, grips and assistant directors urgently required.
Jobs for Ukrainian refugees
Asda are offering 1,500 jobs to Ukrainian refugees. Applicants will be guaranteed an interview as long as they have the appropriate qualifications for the jobs advertised. A number of other companies, including Marks and Spencer, are also pledging their support.
Four-day week trial
Around 30 organisations across the UK are piloting a four-day week as part of a UK wide pilot programme. The firms taking part include Girling Jones in Exeter, 5 Squirrels in Hove, and Pressure Drop Brewing and Happy in London.
Universal credit claimants full-time study option extended
The amount of time that universal credit claimants can study full time on work-related courses whilst still receiving benefits is currently16 weeks. The ESFA have announced this option is to be extended until 28th April next year, i.e. up to 16 weeks can now be spent in work-related learning if the person is in the ‘intensive work search group’ for universal credit. As of January 2022 5.6 million people were receiving universal credit across the UK.
Thank you to the Education Development Trust for providing the information for this bulletin.
