East Midlands: An Overview

Government labour market statistics indicate that employment in the East Midlands continues to be stable, with the Quarterly Survey of Employment Prospects predicting net employment gains, and most industry sectors set to expand. Small companies are the most optimistic about staffing levels with the highest confidence from small manufacturing companies, small services companies and micro public and utilities companies. While large-scale manufacturing still shows a downward trend, the service sector continues to expand, although there are local variations.
Shortages are most noticeable in the construction industry, with many opportunities for qualified electricians (16th Edition Regulations) and plumbers (CORGI), the transport industry (LGV C+E), police forces and the service sector. As ever, there is a shortage of multi-skilled engineers. On the downside, employment in telecommunications and IT is still stagnant. However, well-qualified and experienced Service leavers continue to find work quickly.
Some industrial employers (rail and automotive industries) are expanding, especially through the use of sub-contractors - in some cases large firms - and engine technicians and instructors are in short supply. Telecommunications and the IT industry are still in decline but they may turn around soon. Police forces are recruiting but the recruiting procedure can take so long that people become disheartened and go into other jobs. Managing immigrants and asylum-seekers provides jobs for people in housing management who have the right attitude and experience for this type of work. Some smaller aerospace sub-contractors have ceased trading, with the work transferred to eastern Europe.
Lincolnshire appears to have avoided most of the pitfalls forecast six months ago, and is now stronger and more vibrant than ever. Numbers of start-up businesses have increased and failures have remained steady. Generally confidence is high and more companies say they will be recruiting in the next 12 months than those who expect to lay off staff.
The manufacturing industry is in decline in Northamptonshire but there has been a recent increase in small companies, the vast majority with a workforce of fewer than four people. Excellent road links have contributed to the region becoming a key distribution and warehousing centre with a high demand for logistic staff.
Opportunities and skills shortages
There are opportunities in all the engineering and technical trades, logistics, warehousing and distribution, LGV C+E drivers, nuclear engineers of all types, NVQ assessors, D32/33 instructors, qualified plumbers and electricians, IT analysts and satellite communications engineers.
Major opportunities exist in power generation, chemicals, warehouse and distribution and, more than ever, construction. The latter industry has large numbers of vacancies at the moment in all disciplines, but particularly in plumbing, bricklaying and plastering, and for electricians. With the demand for recycling and interest in other environmental issues growing, employment in these fields is expected to increase.
Vacancies also exist for well-qualified, experienced IT people. However, anyone who has just completed resettlement courses to back up a hobby or secondary Service duty will have to start in a relatively junior position with the appropriate rate of pay - as little as £9,500 for an MCP.
The greatest shortage is for LGV1 drivers prepared to work nights. Telecoms continues in the doldrums but manufacturing is making a comeback. There are many vacancies for fabricators and welders, but the pay is not good.
There has been general upsizing in logistics, transport of all types, including small and specialist motorsports companies, the food industry, telephone and call centres, the police and private security management, the fire service and the NHS. Some large companies that have been recruiting include Balfour Beatty Rail, Serco Rail, ATA Rail, Bombardier, Boughton, Toyota Cars and Acetech.
Since late 2000, the technical recession in technology and allied industries has bitten deep and a large number of factories and, surprisingly, several transport companies, either declared mass redundancies or went into liquidation. The future looks considerably brighter, although ongoing uncertainties in Britain, the USA and the world's economies continue to make sustained confidence difficult. In particular, ntl, Marconi Defence and aerospace sub-contractors have proved vulnerable.
Salaries
A rough guide to salaries in the region is given in the accompanying table. This is inevitably very general and there will be variations between industries and also in various parts of the East Midlands.
Information courtesy of the Career Transition Partnership

House Price Guide
The following is a rough guide to property prices and is liable to overnight change as financial factors in the country, as well as the region, affect housing.

LGV and PSV drivers and LGV fitters remain in short supplyThere is a constant demand for security guards and nurses are urgently needed in healthcare institutions