UK Unemployment is at an 11 Year Low

At the end of 2016, the BBC reported that UK unemployment was at an 11-year low. But, that doesn't necessarily mean you can just walk into a job. In some sectors, the competitiveness of the job market is higher than ever, but a recognised qualification can improve your prospects greatly.

UK Unemployment Statistics Shine Positive Light

According to the Office for National Statistics, UK unemployment fell by 37,000 to 1.6million in the three months to September 2016 – a figure that is an 11-year low. The jobless rate fell by 4.8% and the number of people in work went up 49,000. All of this meant that the total number of people in jobs was set at 31.8million.

There was good news for the already employed too. Average weekly earnings increased by 2.3% in the year to October 2016, or by 2.4% if you exclude bonuses.

A Trade Skills Shortage Means High Demand

These figures are great, however there is still a nationwide shortage of qualified tradespeople in the UK. For example, online recruitment site Indeed has around 2,200 plumbing jobs advertised on its site at the moment, whereas Total Jobs has nearly 1,500 electrical jobs on its books.

In fact, in 2015, it was reported that this skills shortage was so extreme it was affecting the UK’s economic growth. There was a UK skill shortage of 37,800 vacancies. It was even stated that construction sector employers were struggling to fill 1 in 3 vacancies.

As a result of this demand, a career in trade can be highly lucrative. According to research, 75% of qualified and experienced self-employed plumbers can earn £45,000 or more a year. Whereas the trade advocate Charlie Mullins OBE has claimed his employees earn much more.

Retraining: How to Get Trade Qualified

Whether you’re 35 and seeking a new career direction or a 19-year-old who has dropped out of university and is seeking a different career path, our team at Access Training can help.

We offer a vast selection of course options on everything from plumbing to tiling, carpentry to bricklaying, all of which are taught at one of our training centres near you.

Our courses are intensive, inclusive and are flexible so that they can fit around your work and family commitments. We also offer a finance scheme which allows you to spread the cost of your training across a period of up to 60 months.

We have an 8:1 student/tutor ratio, so you can guarantee you’ll get the attention you need. Plus, with a 95%+ average pass rate and almost 100% positive feedback, we’re confident you won’t find a better training provider in the UK.