Although the job market has much improved since the recession, there is still a lack of opportunities in many sectors. This means that there is still a lot of competition that was widespread a few years ago. However, there are some industries that are suffering from a skills-shortage. This a term used to describe a lack of well-trained candidates to take a growing number of roles.
The UKCES Employer Skills Survey 2015 found that there were 209,500 vacancies in UK that were a result of a nationwide skills shortage. 6% of the total amount of employers interviewed said their vacancies had been affected by one. Skills shortages are not all bad though — there are a few advantages of working in a sector with a lack of qualified candidates for those looking for employment, such as more choice over competing roles and a higher salary to those who are skilled enough to fill them. Because of this, a career in one of these areas can be appealing option to pursue, and one you should definitely consider.
So with this in mind, we’re going to have a look at five industries that have a skills shortage and how you could use this to your advantage to have a successful career.
Engineering Apprenticeships
The Royal Academy of Engineers estimated that they need to train 75,000 engineers every year until 2020 to keep up with industry demand, but currently only 22,000 are coming through the ranks each year. This huge shortage means that qualified engineers are highly sought after, with good salaries, plenty of choice, and bright career prospects for those who pursue a job in the sector.
A popular route into engineering is through a higher apprenticeship, which can lead to a professional qualification equivalent to a foundation degree. While you get the benefits of earning a qualification, you can also look forward to on-the-job experience and a wage throughout your training period. Aside from an apprenticeship, there are also paths into the industry through higher education.
Accounting
Accounting is another industry where there aren’t enough qualified candidates to fill advertised roles. The Association of Professional Staffing Companies revealed recently that there was a year-on-year rise of 10.2% in vacancies between the months of March and June 2016, showing just how much demand there was for skilled workers.
As a qualified accountant, you can look forward to an annual salary of around £50,000 for the first few years, with very rosy prospects of this increasing alongside your experience. The quickest route you can take into the sector is by studying for an accountancy qualification with one of the UK’s recognised bodies, like ACCA or ICAEW. You can usually do this straight after college or sixth form studying part-time, allowing you to work or gain industry experience at the same time.
Logistics and material handling
Logistics and material handling is an often-overlooked area, but it shouldn’t be due to its status as a vital support industry to many others, such as online retail and business. Without it, many industries would not be able to function properly and would face huge problems when it comes to moving stock or warehousing. As it is often viewed as being in the background, there is an ongoing shortage of qualified staff for key roles, such as forklift truck drivers and engineers.
One of the best ways into the sector is through an apprenticeship — something that Impact Handling, a forklift engineer and driver trainer knows well.
An apprenticeship will allow you to earn as you learn, as well as providing vital on-the-job experience, and there is often a guaranteed role awaiting at the end of the training period. Furthermore, thanks to the stability of the industry, there are good salary and progression prospects, and you will be able to take your skills virtually anywhere
Construction
A key industry to the country’s infrastructure, construction suffered during the recession and lost many of its workers. As the country and the sector has recovered, the same employees have been slow to return, leaving a skills shortage that hasn’t been met.
A career in this sector can be very rewarding, offering you the chance to work with both your hands and your head, while giving you the opportunity to see instant results with the completion of a project. It can be incredibly satisfying to know that you’ve played a part in the creation of something that could last for many years to come. Many construction firms offer apprenticeships that allow you to begin reaping what you sow from the start. From day one you will be working with your hands and gaining important industry experience — all this while earning a wage too.
Dedicating your time to a career in this sector can lead to many interesting and satisfying projects that you can be part of.
IT
Unlike construction, the demand for IT professionals has never abated — it has simply grown and grown as the world has become increasingly digitised. You just have to look at the record amount of money that was poured into new tech start-up companies in 2015 — around £1.57 billion, according to London & Partners. But it’s not only in new companies that you will find demand for IT professionals, with almost every firm needing their own department or support from a specialist company to keep up with digital trends. If you want to experience the IT sector at its most cutting edge, an internship with a start-up company is the way to go.
Not only will you get great experience with the latest developments, you will get a great idea for how a company is founded, something that can come in handy should you ever want to take the plunge yourself.
Websites like Enternships and Workinstartups list job opportunities in new companies, and there are usually plenty of areas to choose from.
With these five industries all experiencing skills shortages, it’s easy to see that there is a lot of room to pursue a great career in each of them.
You will also be able to take full advantage of the many perks of being in demand in the job market.
