Look at south-east England

Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Overview

South-east England is still an environmentally attractive region, although building continues apace under government initiatives. The region’s population of nearly 8 million makes up some 3 million households. While lacking a single dominant urban centre, the region is home to seven cities with populations of more than 100,000.

Economically the region is strong, accounting for more than 15 per cent of UK GDP, the largest share of any of the English regions and providing 3.7 million jobs. It is home to nearly 250,000 VAT-registered companies. The economy is advanced, high cost, high income, broadly based and service oriented. The region’s economy is closely linked to that of London, and also significantly influenced by its proximity to mainland Europe.

The workforce is generally well educated, with over 85 per cent holding qualifications and more than 20 per cent having a higher-education qualification. Nearly 80 per cent of 16 year olds are in full-time education. Progress in terms of the National Learning Targets shows the south-east to be in advance of the UK average in all but one target, and close to the UK average in that one. The position is not so favourable on vocational training but this is being improved. There are skills shortages in the region in areas such as IT, management and languages.

Infrastructure is generally well developed. There are good national and international communications, though congestion is a growing problem. The region contains 24 per cent of the national motorway network and 12 per cent of the trunk road network. The UK’s second busiest airport, Gatwick, is in the region and the busiest, Heathrow, is immediately adjacent to it. The Channel Tunnel and the forthcoming Channel Tunnel Rail Link provide direct access to mainland Europe, alongside ports such as Dover, Ramsgate and Portsmouth, while Southampton and Sheerness provide deepwater facilities for international maritime traffic.

There is, however, considerable variation within the region. An economic study of the region identified three broad economic groupings: the advanced economies mainly to the west and south-west of the region; the coastal belt comprising the areas bordering the channel and the Thames estuary, with poorer access to London and declining tourism and traditional industries; and the restructuring industrial economies where concentrations of older industries, like defence or port functions, have declined.

Steady improvement in the Kent employment rate recently, due to steady economic and commercial growth, is encouraging; however, there has been no marked change in Sussex. Concerns about future economic growth and job opportunities have led to fears that new faster links to London and the surrounding areas could result in ‘ghost towns’. Local economies depend heavily on service-sector employment. Key sectors include wholesale and retail, business services, and health and social work.

House prices and the cost of living have continued to increase so that few Service leavers can afford to purchase their first house in this area. Employers increasingly expect workers to be multi-skilled and to use new technology to a greater extent than in the past. Personal computers are a standard business tool and IT training is regarded as essential, to such an extent that the ECDL qualification is now looked upon as a requirement, alongside maths and English.

Opportunities and skills shortages

Increased competition has placed new emphasis on customer care, with demand for interpersonal and social skills rising even further. Other drivers have been management structures and changing production techniques. Raising productivity requires greater initiative and flexibility from employees; as teamworking takes over from more traditional structures, hands-on skills are becoming very important.

Engineering still proves to be an area where recruitment is difficult. There are opportunities throughout the region, but few people to fill them. Customer service skills are highly valued, and this is an area where the Service leaver can show capability and understanding.

Employers

Significant employers include Microsoft, Oracle, BMW, police and civilian support services, local government, airports, and the new Post Office. South East Trains, Carillion and Marston are good recruiters, with major new contracts recently announced. Some call centres are still relocating overseas, although the Manston Airport expansion is good news for Kent.

Salaries

A rough guide to salaries in the region is given below. This is inevitably very general and there will be variations between industries and also in various parts of the south-east.

House price guide

The following prices are a rough guide only to property prices and are liable to overnight change as financial factors in the country as well as in the region affect housing.

Information courtesy of the Career Transition Partnership