THAMES VALLEY BERKSHIRE
Overview
The Thames Valley Berkshire labour market remains buoyant. Employment continues to grow and
unemployment continues to fall (table 1, chart 1 and chart 2). On both measures, Thames Valley
Berkshire is one of the best performing sub-regions of the UK. The story isn’t quite as positive for
young people, with unemployment amongst 16-24 year olds rising during 2013 and 2014 before
levelling off more recently. The number of young people claiming unemployment benefit (estimated
to be about 20% of all those who are unemployed) is dropping considerably, nearly halving during
2014.
The number of Apprenticeships started by Berkshire residents fell between 2012/13 and 2013/14 for
the first time in nine years. However, early indications are that the decline was in the ‘over 24’ age
group and that the number of young people starting Apprenticeships has remained stable.
Recruitment activity remains strong across the sub-region. In terms of future opportunities, the green
light was given in January for a new power station for Slough which is expected to create 320 jobs
(mainly temporary construction positions) over the next four years.
About this report..
This report provides commentary and data on the state of the Thames Valley Berkshire labour market,
giving particular consideration to conditions and opportunities for young unemployed or
underemployed people. Labour Market Update reports are produced quarterly as part of the Elevate
Berkshire project. Past issues can be found on the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP website:
http://thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk/Data-Research
For further information contact:
Caroline Perkins
Economic Research Analyst
caroline@thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk
Twitter: @carolineTVB
LABOUR MARKET UPDATE – JANUARY 2015
1
Headline indicators by local authority
Bracknell Forest
Indicator
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Economic inactivity rate
Young people claiming
unemployment benefit
2013/14 Apprenticeship starts
Top sectors for Apprenticeship
starts
Bracknell Forest
Thames Valley
Berkshire
77.7%
4.5%
18.6%
920 (1.0%)
80.9%
4.1%
15.7%
110 (0.9%)
Comparison with last
available data
Increase
Decrease
Increase
Decrease
800
6,700
Decrease
Health, Public Services and Care; Business Administration and Law
Reading
Indicator
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Economic inactivity rate
Young people claiming
unemployment benefit
2013/14 Apprenticeship starts
Top sectors for Apprenticeship
starts
Reading
Thames Valley
Berkshire
77.7%
4.5%
18.6%
920 (1.0%)
74.0%
4.6%
22.4%
200 (0.9%)
Comparison with last
available data
Increase
Decrease
Increase
Decrease
1,100
6,700
Decrease
Health, Public Services and Care; Business Administration and Law;
Retail and Commercial Enterprise
Slough
Indicator
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Economic inactivity rate
Young people claiming
unemployment benefit
2013/14 Apprenticeship starts
Top sectors for Apprenticeship
starts
Slough
Thames Valley
Berkshire
77.7%
4.5%
18.6%
920 (1.0%)
70.6%
8.5%
22.8%
285 (1.9%)
Comparison with last
available data
Decrease
Increase
No change
Decrease
930
6,700
Decrease
Business Administration and Law; Health, Public Services and Care
West Berkshire
Indicator
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Economic inactivity rate
Young people claiming
unemployment benefit
2013/14 Apprenticeship starts
Top sectors for Apprenticeship
starts
West Berkshire
Thames Valley
Berkshire
77.7%
4.5%
18.6%
920 (1.0%)
82.9%
3.1%
14.5%
110 (0.7%)
Comparison with last
available data
Increase
Decrease
Decrease
Decrease
1,050
6,700
Decrease
Business Administration and Law; Retail and Commercial Enterprise;
Health, Public Services and Care
2
Headline indicators by local authority
Windsor and Maidenhead
Indicator
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Economic inactivity rate
Young people claiming
unemployment benefit
2013/14 Apprenticeship starts
Top sectors for Apprenticeship
starts
Windsor and
Maidenhead
81.0%
3.7%
15.9%
130 (1.0%)
Thames Valley
Berkshire
77.7%
4.5%
18.6%
920 (1.0%)
Comparison with last
available data
Increase
No change
Decrease
Decrease
680
6,700
Decrease
Business Administration and Law; Health, Public Services and Care
Wokingham
Indicator
Employment rate
Unemployment rate
Economic inactivity rate
Young people claiming
unemployment benefit
2013/14 Apprenticeship starts
Top sectors for Apprenticeship
starts
Wokingham
Thames Valley
Berkshire
77.7%
4.5%
18.6%
920 (1.0%)
77.9%
3.4%
19.4%
90 (0.6%)
Comparison with last
available data
Decrease
Increase
Increase
Decrease
790 (excluding
6,700
Decrease
Army)
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies (mainly delivered by
Army); Business Administration and Law; Health, Public Services and
Care; Retail and Commercial Enterprise
3
LABOUR MARKET STORY
1. Jobseekers
This section provides a summary of the volume and characteristics of jobseekers within Berkshire.
All ages
Chart 3 shows that approximately 45,200 Berkshire residents currently aren’t working but would like to.
Of these, approximately 27% are claiming the main unemployment benefit (JobSeekers Allowance), 20%
are actively seeking work but are not claiming JobSeekers Allowance1 (they will be counted in official
unemployment statistics) and 53% would like a job but haven’t actively sought work in recent weeks.
Those in the latter group, many of whom will have caring responsibilities, will not be captured in official
unemployment statistics.
Young people
According to the Annual Population Survey, approximately 9,000 16-24 year olds in Berkshire are
unemployed, of whom approximately 20% are claiming JobSeekers Allowance. When students are
excluded, the overall youth unemployment figure falls to approximately 6,000, of whom approximately a
third are claiming JobSeekers Allowance.
In contrast to the wider trend (chart 2), official statistics suggest that unemployment2 amongst 16-24
year olds rose during 2013 and 2014, and is now showing signs of levelling off. Nonetheless, the data
suggests that the Thames Valley Berkshire labour market isn’t currently as accessible for young people as
it is for those over the age of 24 (chart 4).
The number of young people claiming unemployment benefit (Jobseekers Allowance) within Berkshire is
relatively low (table 3) and falling. Claimant unemployment rates amongst 18-24 year olds are lower in
Berkshire than the regional and national averages. Rates within Slough stand out within the sub-region
and are near (but still below) the England average.
The proportion of young people claiming unemployment benefit within Berkshire has broadly mirrored
the national trend over the last 10 years (chart 5). With the exception of Slough, youth claimant
unemployment rates at a local authority level have converged in recent months, with rates currently
being more similar across the sub-region than at any time over last 10 years. During 2014, the number of
young people claiming JSA in Berkshire halved (chart 6)
Table 4 provides further details of where there are pockets of comparatively large numbers of young
people claiming unemployment benefit. The top three wards are all in Slough, and 13 of the top 14 wards
are either in the Slough or Reading local authority areas.
So why are the two measures of youth unemployment going in different directions? One explanation
could be the introduction of the JSA sanctions regime in October 2012. National research shows that
across England the proportion of unemployed people not claiming JSA rose from 37% in October 2012 to
49% in August 2014. So some people who would previously have claimed may no longer being doing so.
1
2
A proportion will be claiming the Employment and Support Allowance
ILO definition (see annex for explanation)
4
Sanctions can be applied if applicants: left their job voluntarily; lost their last job due to misconduct; fail
to apply or accept a job that was offered to them; or fail to show they are actively seeking work.
Apprenticeship starts
Apprenticeships are a key route into employment. There were 6,700 Apprenticeships started by Berkshire
residents between August 2013 and July 2014 (table 5). Approximately a quarter of these were
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Apprenticeships started with the Army at Arborfield
Garrison in Wokingham (which will shortly be closing). Other sectors with comparatively high numbers of
Apprenticeship starts in Berkshire are Business, Administration and Law; Retail and Commercial
Enterprise; and Health, Public Services and Care.
The number of Apprenticeships started by Berkshire residents fell between 2012/13 and 2013/14 for the
first time in nine years. Whilst the fall was considerable (18%), early indications are that the vast majority
of the decline was amongst people in the over 24 age group. A decline of a similar magnitude occurred
across England as a whole (table 6).
2. Job opportunities
This section provides an overview of short, medium and long-term job opportunities within Berkshire,
particularly for young people. Firstly we look at medium to long-term trends at a sectoral level, then we
summarise short to medium-term opportunities highlighted in local and trade press, and finally we look
at real-time job vacancy data derived from online job postings.
Sectors (medium to long-term opportunities)
Some key sectors to highlight in terms of the volume of medium to long-term opportunities within
Berkshire, particularly for young people, are listed below.
ICT: There continues to be high demand for staff from Berkshire’s tech companies with the number of
people employed in the sector increasing by approximately 6,000 between 2012 and 20133.
Construction: There is predicted to be an increase in demand for construction workers across Berkshire
due to ongoing and new regeneration projects. Major players within the sector (including contractors
and local authorities) are reporting a lack of skilled staff to meet demand.
Results from the Federation of Master Builders’ latest State of Trade Survey for Q4 2014 show small
construction firms across the country are experiencing particular difficulties recruiting carpenters, joiners
and bricklayers. And are also seeing a rising and significant shortage of roofers, plasterers and site
managers (http://www.fmb.org.uk/news-publications/newsroom/pressreleases/2015/january/construction-skills-time-bomb-is-ticking/).
The construction of a new power station in Slough (see next section) is predicted to create 300
construction roles.
3
Source: Business and Employment Register, ONS (released September 2014)
5
Hospitality and leisure: A number of new hospitality, leisure and retail outlets are opening across
Berkshire and hotel room occupancy rates4 are at their highest level for the past four years. Employment
within the sector is growing, with a 10% increase in employment in the ‘accommodation and food
services’ in Berkshire between 2012 and 20135.
Logistics: Driver shortages continue to be reported (nationally and locally) in the road haulage industry
and experts predict shortages will continue due to the large proportion of the workforce due to retired
within the next two years. Salaries are increasing as a result.
Business openings and expansions (short to medium term opportunities)
The following business openings and expansions were reported in the press between November 2014
and January 2015. The number of jobs these are likely to create are included where available.
Reading

Components manufacturer, Magal Engineering, has created 12 new jobs and safeguarded
another 56 after winning a contract to produce parts for Jaguar Land Rover (Reading Chronicle,
November 2014)

TeamSport opened a Go Kart track in Reading in December 2014.The new venue, at the end of
Cradock Road, is creating 40 jobs with a promise of ‘fast-track’ career opportunities to
management (GetReading, December 2014)

The American motorcycle company Harley-Davidson is setting up a showroom in Reading in 2015
with the creation of new jobs (Reading Chronicle, December 2014)

Pizza Hut in the Oracle is undergoing a revamp which will lead to the creation of 10 jobs
(GetReading, December 2014)

More than 60 new jobs will be created with the majority in Reading as laundry firm Afonwen
plans to open its second branch in the area in May (GetReading, January 2015)
Slough

A new power station for Slough has been given the green light. The plant will be built at the
existing Slough Heat and Power Station site in Edinburgh Road, owned and managed by energy
giant SSE, which is behind the project. Construction work will see the demolition of an existing
redundant plant and buildings on the site, which will be replaced by the new multifuel combined
heat and power generating station. The project is expected to take four years to complete and
will generate 300 temporary construction jobs and an additional 20 new full-time roles. (Slough
Express, January 2015)
4
5
Source: Tourism South East (data for the South East region)
Source: Business and Employment Register, ONS (released September 2014)
6
Bracknell

Up to 15 jobs will be created when a new Subway store opens in Bracknell at the end of January
2015 (Get Reading, January 2015)

A Pizza Hut delivery store will open at the new West View mini-mall development in Market
Street on in March 2015. It will create 25 full and part-time jobs (Bracknell News, February 2015)
Newbury

Work is set to start on a new Marston's pub and restaurant in Newbury, which will create up to
50 jobs. It is expected to open in the summer of 2015 (South East News, January 2015)
Thatcham

Sainsbury’s is coming to Thatcham after plans were approved to open a store in Coombe Square.
Sainsbury’s says that the store will employ five full-time staff and 20 part-time staff (Newbury
Today, December 2014).
Online job postings (real-time data)
We use a tool called Labour Insight6 to analyse job vacancy trends using information ‘scraped’ from
online job postings. This includes vacancies posted on job sites, on recruitment agency websites and on
employers own sites. . Key trends between November 2014 and January 2015 are summarised below:

The local employers with the most online job postings in the last three months7 were the NHS,
Vodafone Group, the University of Reading, AWE, Hewlett Packard and Hilton Worldwide (table
7). The types of roles being recruited for AWE8 are provided in chart 9.

Over the last three months three of the top five occupations for online job postings in Berkshire
were IT-related. The remaining two occupations being ‘Nurses’ and ‘Other admin occupations’
(chart 7).

When looking at recent online postings by job title (chart 8), three of the top five titles are
positions that are common to a wide range of industries (‘Business Analyst’, ‘Account Manager’
and ‘Assistant Manager. The remaining two are more industry specific (‘Registered Nurse’ and
‘Recruiting Consultant’).

Communication skills were by far the most commonly cited generic skill mentioned within online
job adverts over the last three months in Berkshire, followed by planning, writing, customer
service and project management skills (chart 10). The importance of soft skills, such as
communication, to commercial success was highlighted in a recent national report sponsored by
McDonalds. Further details can be found here:
http://www.backingsoftskills.co.uk/The%20Value%20of%20Soft%20Skills%20to%20the%20UK%2
0Economy.pdf
6
See annex for further information
Where employer names were provided within online job postings (approximately 40% of postings)
8
Note, the types of roles being recruited for by the NHS and Vodafone Group were provide in the October
2014 Labour Market Update
7
7

Business management, telecoms, sales and IT-related skills were among the most commonly
cited specialist skills mentioned within online job adverts over the last three months. (chart 11)

The top IT skills requirements of Berkshire employers (where stated in online job postings) are
Microsoft Excel, SQL, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows (chart 12).
3. Job losses
This section provides an overview of major job losses (confirmed and potential) within Berkshire.
Berkshire

Publisher, Trinity Mirror closed three Berkshire newspapers in December 2014 with the loss of 26
jobs. 10 jobs were created in digital roles across the South East (The Guardian, November 2014)
4. Entry level job opportunities and skills requirements
The majority of unemployed and underemployed young people will be seeking ‘entry level’ job
opportunities. These tend not to require significant previous experience. Within this section we use the
Labour Insight tool9 to gauge the volume and type of entry level opportunities within Berkshire and the
skills that employers are looking for within them. Key findings are below:

The top occupations being advertised at a salary of less than £20,000 per annum (which are
potentially more likely to be accessible for young people without prior experience or qualifications)
are ‘administrative occupations’, ‘care workers and home carers’, ‘nursery nurses and assistants’ and
‘sales and retail assistants’ (chart 14).

The number of online job postings for Apprentices and Interns declined between September and
December 2014 (chart 13).

In the last three months, the top three employers10 advertising online for Apprentices in Berkshire
were Rush Hair, Reading Borough Council and the NHS (table 8).

The top generic skills required by employers in their job postings for Apprentices in the last three
months were English and communication skills. These were followed customer service skills and
being detailed-oriented. The top ‘specialist’ skill cited within job adverts for Apprentices in the last
three months was mathematics. This was followed by business administration, cleaning,
telecommunications and administrative support (table 9).
9
See annex for further information
Where employer names were provided within job adverts
10
8
5. Key Messages
For Elevate Steering Groups

Whilst the pool of young people claiming unemployment benefit (and therefore ‘in the system’) is
falling considerably, this group only constitutes around 20% of all unemployed young people (33%
when students are excluded). There is therefore a pool of young people, who are not claiming
unemployment benefit, who may not be receiving official support in their job search.
For those working with young people

The importance of communications skills to employers could be demonstrated to young people using
the information in Chart 10.

The types of IT skills required by local employers could be demonstrated to young people using the
information in Chart 12. This information could also be valuable to providers to ensure provision is
aligned with demand.
For those liaising with employers

A number of employers who may be interested in taking on, or increasing their intake, of young
people, through Apprenticeships and other routes, due to expansions or new ventures are identified
within this bulletin.
9
TABLES AND CHARTS
Local authority level figures of note are highlighted in tables using the following key:
High
Low
Table 1: Labour Market Participation
Bracknell Forest
Reading
Slough
West Berkshire
Windsor and Maidenhead
Wokingham
Thames Valley Berkshire
South East
England
Employed
Number
Rate
64,100
80.9
83,300
74.0
66,000
70.6
81,700
82.9
77,000
81.0
84,200
77.9
456,200
77.7
4,146,000
76.0
24,607,200
72.5
Unemployed
Number
Rate
2,700
4.1
4,000
4.6
6,200
8.5
2,600
3.1
2,900
3.7
2,900
3.4
21,400
4.5
214,800
4.9
1,740,900
6.6
Economically inactive
Number
Rate
12,400
15.7
25,300
22.4
21,300
22.8
14,300
14.5
15,200
15.9
21,000
19.4
109,400
18.6
1,096,700
20.1
7,570,300
22.3
Source: Annual Population Survey, Oct 2013-Sept 2014, Office for National Statistics
Note 1: Rates do not sum to 100 due to varying denominators
Note 2: Unemployment measured using ILO definition (see Annex for further information)
Table 2: Economic inactivity
Want a
job
Thames Valley Berkshire
South East
England
21.8
27.1
25.0
Do not
want a
job
Student
78.2
72.9
75.0
30.6
27.8
26.5
Looking
after
family /
home
30.6
25.7
25.9
Source: Annual Population Survey, Oct 2013-Sept 2014, Office for National Statistics
Note: Rates do not sum to 100 due to varying denominators
10
Longterm sick
12.2
16.7
20.9
Retired
12.3
16.8
14.7
Other
14.2
12.9
12.0
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Apr 2004-Mar 2005
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Oct 2004-Sep 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Apr 2005-Mar 2006
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Oct 2005-Sep 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Apr 2006-Mar 2007
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Oct 2006-Sep 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Apr 2007-Mar 2008
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Oct 2007-Sep 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Apr 2008-Mar 2009
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Oct 2008-Sep 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Apr 2009-Mar 2010
Jul 2009-Jun 2010
Oct 2009-Sep 2010
Jan 2010-Dec 2010
Apr 2010-Mar 2011
Jul 2010-Jun 2011
Oct 2010-Sep 2011
Jan 2011-Dec 2011
Apr 2011-Mar 2012
Jul 2011-Jun 2012
Oct 2011-Sep 2012
Jan 2012-Dec 2012
Apr 2012-Mar 2013
Jul 2012-Jun 2013
Oct 2012-Sep 2013
Jan 2013-Dec 2013
Apr 2013-Mar 2014
Jul 2013-Jun 2014
Oct 2013-Sept 2014
Jan 2004-Dec 2004
Apr 2004-Mar 2005
Jul 2004-Jun 2005
Oct 2004-Sep 2005
Jan 2005-Dec 2005
Apr 2005-Mar 2006
Jul 2005-Jun 2006
Oct 2005-Sep 2006
Jan 2006-Dec 2006
Apr 2006-Mar 2007
Jul 2006-Jun 2007
Oct 2006-Sep 2007
Jan 2007-Dec 2007
Apr 2007-Mar 2008
Jul 2007-Jun 2008
Oct 2007-Sep 2008
Jan 2008-Dec 2008
Apr 2008-Mar 2009
Jul 2008-Jun 2009
Oct 2008-Sep 2009
Jan 2009-Dec 2009
Apr 2009-Mar 2010
Jul 2009-Jun 2010
Oct 2009-Sep 2010
Jan 2010-Dec 2010
Apr 2010-Mar 2011
Jul 2010-Jun 2011
Oct 2010-Sep 2011
Jan 2011-Dec 2011
Apr 2011-Mar 2012
Jul 2011-Jun 2012
Oct 2011-Sep 2012
Jan 2012-Dec 2012
Apr 2012-Mar 2013
Jul 2012-Jun 2013
Oct 2012-Sep 2013
Jan 2013-Dec 2013
Apr 2013-Mar 2014
Jul 2013-Jun 2014
Oct 2013-Sept 2014
Chart 1: Employment rate trends (2004 – 2014)
80.0
78.0
76.0
74.0
72.0
70.0
68.0
66.0
64.0
Thames Valley Berkshire
Thames Valley Berkshire
11
England
Source: Annual Population Survey, Oct 2013-Sept 2014, Office for National Statistics
Chart 2: Unemployment rate trends (2004 – 2014)
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
England
Source: Annual Population Survey, Oct 2013-Sept 2014, Office for National Statistics
Note: Unemployment measured using ILO definition (see Annex for further information)
Chart 3: Number of jobseekers by definition (all ages)
27%
Unemployed and
claiming JSA , 12,300
53%
Would like a job but
haven't actively
sought work in recent
works, 23,800
Unemployed but not
claiming JSA, 9,100
20%
Source: Annual Population Survey, October 2013 – September 2014, ONS and Claimant Count Statistics, March
2014 (mid-point of Annual Population Survey timeframe), DWP
12
Chart 4: Labour market participation of 18-24 year olds (Thames Valley Berkshire)
60
50
%
40
30
20
10
0
Jul 2012-Jun
2013
Oct 2012-Sep
2013
Employed
Jan 2013-Dec
2013
Apr 2013-Mar
2014
Unemployed
Jul 2013-Jun
2014
Oct 2013-Sep
2014
Economically inactive
Source: Annual Population Survey, Oct 2013-Sept 2014, Office for National Statistics
Note: Young people who are working whilst studying are categorised as being employed.
Table 3: 18-2411 unemployment benefit claimants – December 2014
Total
Number
Rate
Bracknell Forest
110
0.9%
10
0.1%
Reading
200
0.9%
35
0.2%
Slough
285
1.9%
55
0.4%
West Berkshire
110
0.7%
20
0.1%
Windsor and Maidenhead
130
1.0%
20
0.2%
90
0.6%
5
0.0%
920
1.0%
145
0.2%
14,035
1.4%
3,050
0.3%
142,375
2.3%
37,140
0.6%
Wokingham
Thames Valley Berkshire
South East
England
Over 6 months
Number
Rate
Source: DWP, January 2015
11
18-24 year old rather than 16-24 year old age bracket used due to negligible number of 16-17 year olds
claiming unemployment benefit
13
Chart 5: 18-24 year olds claiming unemployment benefit, 2004 – 2014
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
April
2004
April
2005
April
2006
April
2007
April
2008
April
2009
Bracknell Forest
Slough
Windsor and Maidenhead
Thames Valley Berkshire
April
2010
April
2011
April
2012
April
2013
Reading
West Berkshire
Wokingham
England
Source: DWP, July 2014
Chart 6: 18-24 year olds claiming unemployment benefit, 2014
2,000
1,800
-49% (880 young
1,600
people)
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
Source: DWP, January 2015
14
April
2014
Table 4: Number of 18-24 year old unemployment benefit claimants by ward (top 14 wards) –
December 2014
Top 20 Wards
Local Authority District
Sep-14
Baylis and Stoke
Slough
45
30
Change
over last 3
months
-15
Chalvey
Slough
45
30
-5
Central
Slough
40
30
-10
Whitley
Reading
40
30
-10
Wexham Lea
Slough
35
25
-10
Britwell
Slough
25
25
0
Kedermister
Slough
25
25
0
Battle
Reading
20
25
-5
Minster
Reading
25
20
-5
Cippenham Meadows
Slough
25
20
-5
Church
Reading
25
20
-5
Farnham
Slough
20
20
0
Oldfield
Windsor and Maidenhead
20
20
0
Kentwood
Reading
15
20
5
Source: DWP, January 2015
15
Dec-14
Table 5: Apprenticeship Starts (August 2013 – July 2014) (provisional)
Reading
Slough
West
Berkshire
210
350
260
210
170
180
1,370
10
10
**
30
10
20
90
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies
130
110
90
190
90
1,400*
2,020
Construction, Planning and the Built
Environment
Information and Communication Technology
10
20
20
40
20
20
130
50
70
50
50
40
50
290
150
250
170
220
120
170
1,080
50
30
20
30
20
50
190
Business, Administration and Law
170
260
300
270
180
180
1,370
Grand Total
790
1,100
930
1,050
680
6,630
Per 1,000 working age population
10.3
10.1
9.9
10.7
7.5
2,080 (790
excluding
Army)
8.0
(excluding
Army)
Health, Public Services and Care
Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care
Retail and Commercial Enterprise
Leisure, Travel and Tourism
Thames
Valley
Berkshire
Bracknell
Forest
Wokingham
Windsor
and
Maidenhead
Home Local Authority of Learner
9.4
Source: Skills Funding Agency, 2014
Note 1: *The vast majority (1,290) of which are with the Army at Arborfield Garrison
Note 2: Some missing data due to small numbers, totals may not tally between tables 10 and 11.
Table 6: Apprenticeship Starts 2005/06 to 2013/14
2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14
Local
Authority
Bracknell
350
340
400
470
520
810
860
990
800
Forest
Reading
400
390
540
570
690
1,330
1,350
1,320
1,130
Slough
310
380
430
460
480
780
1,020
1,060
930
West
460
520
710
700
720
1,020
1,180
1,220
1,060
Berkshire
Windsor and
260
320
370
370
450
660
750
870
690
Maidenhead
Wokingham
1,560
1,830
2,020
2,380
2,660
2,520
2,460
2,720
2,110
Thames Valley
3,340
3,780
4,470
4,950
5,520
7,120
7,620
8,180
6,720
Berkshire
South East
23,440
26,520
32,160
35,040
39,120
58,340
66,850
68,960
60,220
England
172,600 181,800 221,500 237,100 276,900 453,000 515,000 504,200 434,600
Source: FE data library https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships
16
Table 7: Employers with the most online job postings (November 2014 to January 2015)
Employer
Approx. no.
job Postings
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
>100
VODAFONE GROUP
>100
UNIVERSITY OF READING
31-100
AWE (ATOMIC WEAPONS ESTABLISHMENT)
31-100
HEWLETT PACKARD COMPANY
31-100
HILTON WORLDWIDE
31-100
THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD
31-100
ORACLE
31-100
MICROSOFT
31-100
JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP
31-100
READING BOROUGH COUNCIL
31-100
JOHNSON GROUP LIMITED
10-30
FOSTER WHEELER
10-30
CDK GLOBAL
10-30
THAMES WATER
10-30
WOKINGHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL
10-30
COVANCE LIMITED
10-30
READING COLLEGE
10-30
HIGHLAND GROUP HOLDINGS
10-30
SLOUGH BOROUGH COUNCIL
10-30
MCDONALD'S RESTAURANTS
10-30
TRAVIS PERKINS
10-30
HUTCHISON 3G UK LIMITED
10-30
MERCURY INTERACTIVE
10-30
HS MARSTON AEROSPACE LIMITED
10-30
MITCHELLS & BUTLERS
10-30
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
Note 1: Approximately 40% of online job postings include an employer name, the information in the table
above is therefore not exhaustive
17
Chart 7: Online Job Postings - Top Occupations (November 2014 to January 2015)
0
200
400
Programmers and software development professionals (2136)
IT business analysts, architects and systems designers (2135)
Nurses (2231)
Other administrative occupations n.e.c. (4159)
Information technology and telecommunications…
Business sales executives (3542)
Managers and proprietors in other services n.e.c. (1259)
Management consultants and business analysts (2423)
Web design and development professionals (2137)
IT user support technicians (3132)
Sales accounts and business development managers (3545)
Human resources and industrial relations officers (3562)
IT operations technicians (3131)
Sales related occupations n.e.c. (7129)
Sales and retail assistants (7111)
Customer service occupations n.e.c. (7219)
Marketing and sales directors (1132)
Managers and directors in retail and wholesale (1190)
IT project and programme managers (2134)
Chartered and certified accountants (2421)
Marketing associate professionals (3543)
Business and related associate professionals n.e.c. (3539)
Chefs (5434)
Financial accounts managers (3538)
Nursery nurses and assistants (6121)
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
18
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
Chart 8: Online Job Postings – Top Job Titles (November 2014 to January 2015)
0
50
100
Business Analyst
Account Manager
Registered Nurse
Recruiting Consultant
Assistant Manager
Solutions Architect
Java Software Developer
Social Worker
Staff Nurse
Marketing Manager
Sales Executive
Software Development Engineer
Store Manager
Project Manager
Sales Manager
Auxilliary Nurse
Software Developer
Network Engineer
Chef
Asp .Net Developer
.Net Developer
Security Engineer
Contract Manager
Sales Consultant
Technical Support Engineer
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
19
150
200
250
300
Chart 9: Top Titles in Job Postings by AWE (November 2014 to December 2015)
0
1
2
Quality Engineer
Systems Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Information Technology Manager
Electronics Engineer
Engineering Technician
Mechanical Design Engineer
Software Development Engineer
Transport Driver
Safety Specialist
Assistant Manager
Electronics Technician
Quality Inspector
Engineer - Plant Integrity
Engineering - Speculative Vacancies
Engineering Analyst - Senior Specialist Aerodynamic And…
Engineering Manager
Engineering Model Developer
Radiological Protection Advisor
Radiological Protection Epure
Reliability Engineer
Reward Analyst
Safety Assessment Specialists
Network Specialist
Neutralisation Technologies Scientist
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
20
3
4
5
6
7
8
Chart 10: Top Generic Skills Requirements Stated in On-line Job Postings (November 2014 to
January 2015)
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
Communication Skills
Planning
Writing
Customer service
Project Management
Microsoft Excel
Organisational Skills
Problem Solving
Building Effective Relationships
Detail-Orientated
Team Work
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
English
Computer Skills
Leadership
Creativity
Research
Troubleshooting
Presentation Skills
Budgeting
Quality Assurance and Control
Staff Coordination
Management
Meeting Deadlines
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
21
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
Chart 11: Top Specialist Skills Requirements Stated in On-line Job Postings (November 2014 to
January 2015)
0
200
400
Business Management
Telecommunications
SQL
Sales
Business Development
Oracle
Technical Support
Key Performance Indictators
LINUX
JavaScript
Microsoft C#
Accountancy
Java
.NET Programming
ITIL
Information Technology Industry Experience
C++
SQL Server
Rehabilitation
Cisco
Mentoring
Business Analysis
Collaboration
Business Process
It Support
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
22
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
Chart 12: Top IT Skills Requirements Stated in On-line Job Postings (November 2014 to January
2015)
0
200
400
Microsoft Excel
SQL
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Windows
Oracle
LINUX
JavaScript
Microsoft C#
Java
.NET Programming
ITIL
C++
SQL Server
Microsoft Powerpoint
SAP
UNIX
Scrum
Prince
Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (Tcp / Ip)
jQuery
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
Microsoft Sharepoint
Domain Name System (DNS)
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
MySQL
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
23
600
800
1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800
Chart 13: Job postings for Apprentices and Interns (Berkshire)12
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Apr-14
May-14
Jun-14
Jul-14
Aug-14
Apprenticeships
Sep-14
Oct-14
Nov-14
Dec-14
Internships
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015 (rounded to nearest 10)
Table 8: Top employers advertising online for Apprentices (November 2014 to January 2015)
Employer
RUSH HAIR
READING BOROUGH COUNCIL
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE
SSP
SLOUGH BOROUGH COUNCIL
LADBROKES
NEWBURY LIMITED
GREENE KING
TGI FRIDAYS
BUSY BEES CHILDCARE LTD
BMW GROUP
SOUTH ESSEX COLLEGE
ZAROMCO RECYCLING LTD
BARCLAYS
L&Q
HEADMASTERS
TONI GUY LIMITED
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
12
Numbers are likely to be an overestimation. Whilst a de-duplication exercise is undertaken it is likely that
some vacancies posted on multiple sites will be double-counted.
24
Table 9: Top Generic and Specialised Skills Requirements in online job postings for Apprentices
(November 2014 to January 2015) (ranked in order of demand)
Generic
Specialised
English (skill in high demand)
Mathematics (by far the greatest skill in demand)
Communication Skills (skill in high demand)
Business Administration
Computer Skills
Cleaning
Customer service
Telecommunications
Detail-Orientated
Administrative Support
Team Work
Workshops
File Management
Repair
Writing
Sales
Creativity
First Aid
Microsoft Excel
Social Media
Teaching
Accountancy
Microsoft Office
Taking Messages
Quality Assurance and Control
Promotional Support
Problem Solving
Spreadsheets
Staff Coordination
Midwifery
Organisational Skills
Singing
Quick Learner
Administrative Functions
Typing
Mailing
Research
Order And Invoice Processing
Time Management
Mentoring
Building Effective Relationships
Tutoring
Positive Disposition
Child Care
Planning
Cooking
Policy Implementation
Stock Control
Telephone Skills
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
25
Chart 14: Job postings with a salary of less than £20,000 per annum (full-time positions) (November
2014 to January 2015)
0
20
40
Other administrative occupations n.e.c. (4159)
Care workers and home carers (6145)
Nursery nurses and assistants (6121)
Sales and retail assistants (7111)
Customer service occupations n.e.c. (7219)
Nurses (2231)
Business sales executives (3542)
Chefs (5434)
Health associate professionals n.e.c. (3219)
IT user support technicians (3132)
Elementary storage occupations (9260)
Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c. (3239)
Human resources and industrial relations officers (3562)
Managers and directors in retail and wholesale (1190)
Van drivers (8212)
Receptionists (4216)
Elementary construction occupations (9120)
Sales related occupations n.e.c. (7129)
Teaching assistants (6125)
Debt, rent and other cash collectors (7122)
Textile process operatives (8113)
Sales administrators (4151)
Programmers and software development professionals (2136)
Cleaners and domestics (9233)
Kitchen and catering assistants (9272)
Source: Labour Insight, Burning Glass Technologies, January 2015
26
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Data sources
All data presented within this paper is the latest available at 31 January 2015. Some key points to note
regarding the data sources used in this paper are outlined below.
Unemployment measures
Unemployment can be measured in different ways. Within this paper we present unemployment figures
derived from the Annual Population Survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics, and
administrative figures collated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) via JobCentre Plus local
offices.
The Annual Population Survey capture the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition of
unemployment, which is when people are without a job, are available to start work in the next fortnight
and have actively sought work within the past four weeks or have found a job and are waiting to start.
This measure includes both Jobseeker Allowance and non-Jobseeker Allowance claimants, providing a
more accurate picture of those people out of work.
DWP ‘claimant count’ unemployment data is a record of the number of claimants of Jobseekers
Allowance (JSA). This data is released more frequently (monthly) and is actual numbers rather than a
survey estimation.
Online job postings (Labour Insight)
The intelligence from online job postings presented within this paper has been sourced from Labour
Insight, a tool developed by technology company Burning Glass Technologies. The tool processes
information from real-time job postings ‘scraped’ from the internet. Burning Glass Technologies estimate
that they capture approximately 90% of job adverts that are placed online (from jobs boards, recruitment
agency websites and directly from employers’ own websites giving a good indication of hiring activity and
the level of demand for people with different types of skills.
A thorough de-duplication exercise is undertaken by Burning Glass Technologies, however, it is likely
there will be some double counting of job adverts when they are posted on multiple sites.
The main limitation of the methodology is that the intelligence that can be gathered is only as good as
the information that employers and agencies include within job adverts. So, for example, whilst the vast
majority of job adverts will include a job title and skills requirements, many will not include a salary,
qualifications required or an employer’s name.
Another limitation is that it can be difficult to ascertain where precisely a job is located. If a postcode is
provided within a job advert then this can accurately be coded to a town and / or local authority area.
However, an employer recruiting in Theale, which is in West Berkshire but borders Reading, may
advertise the job location as being ‘Reading’ which would result in the job being coded to the Reading
local authority area.
27