Spring 2015
West Lothian
Working Together
West Lothian’s jobs market ‐ What tomorrow’s workers need to know What tomorrow’s workers need to know
Welcome
Planning for the future
Leaving school can be a daun ng but exci ng prospect for any young person. There are so many decisions to make about your next steps, and you will no doubt receive lots of advice from various sources both inside and outside your school. Many of you will have a clear idea of what you want to do and have a college or university course lined‐up. Over the last few years more and more school leavers have chosen the op on of con nuing their educa on on a full‐ me basis either at a college or university. However, there are also other op ons that can lead to a rewarding job with training opportuni es and the poten al for career progression. There are job opportuni es available to West Lothian school leavers – not just in West Lothian but also in neighbouring areas – and it is easier than ever to travel through to Edinburgh and Glasgow by train. If you are keen to move into a job on leaving school you will also need advice and informa on ‐ on the types of jobs that are available, what employers expect of new recruits and how to make the best impression with a prospec ve employer in your job applica on and interview.
West Lothian’s large employers Rank
Local Government
8,000
1
Sky Television
Service
4,000
2
NHS Lothian
Healthcare
3,500
3
Tesco
Retail & Distribu on
2,200
4
HMRC
Public Admin
1,000
5
ASDA WAL*MART
Retail
800
6
Morrisons
Retail
700
7
Johnson & Johnson Medical Manufacturing
500
8
Quin les
Manufacturing
500
9
Mitsubishi Electric
Manufacturing
450
10
SEH Europe
Manufacturing
400
11
WL Gore
Manufacturing
400
12
Source: West Lothian Business Directory/Bureau van Dijk
Where are the jobs in West Lothian?
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you well as you decide your own future career path and that you find this publica on useful in helping you make the right decision. Graham Hope, Chief Execu ve, West Lothian Council
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Approx. Employees
West Lothian Council
A Modern Appren ceship is a great op on for anyone looking to move into a job with a structured training programme which is recognised by employers. Many businesses and organisa ons in West Lothian take on recruits through the Modern Appren ceship Programme and a number are featured here in this publica on. I am par cularly keen to encourage you to explore all the op ons that are available.
Sector
Leaving school ‐ looking for work? Looking for a job is a job in itself. You will improve your chances of finding work by using a wide range of methods. Online
The internet has transformed the way we look for jobs, making searches quicker and easier but it can be a daun ng prospect if you don’t know where to begin. A good star ng point is the job search facility on www.myworldofwork.co.uk You can also use My World of Work to build a CV, learn more about what kinds of jobs would suit you by using the My Strengths tool, and get advice on how to handle a job interview. Employer/specialist websites If you know the area you would like to work in, you can make your search as targeted as possible. A number of businesses and industries adver se vacancies directly on their own websites and encourage you to apply online. They o en list a contact person so you can easily follow the progress of your applica on. Specialist websites can cover par cular industries or career sectors such as: Retail vacancies at the centre ‐ www.shopthecentre.co.uk or www.livingstondesigneroutlet.com Construc on skills ‐ www.bconstructive.co.uk Electrical ‐ www.sectt.org.uk Engineering ‐ www.ecitb.org.uk or www.edeta.org.uk Motor vehicle ‐ www.kwik-fit.com/hr-recruitment.asp or www.lagta.co.uk Networking Put the word out that you're in the market for a job. Don’t be annoying about it, of course, but don't be shy about men oning it in conversa ons with friends, family members and classmates. You never know where the next opportunity might come from.
They may be able to give you useful contact names, recommend you to someone in their organisa on or provide general advice and informa on about their industry. Word of mouth is an excellent way to find out about opportuni es. Specula ve approaches It’s es mated that a large number of jobs are never adver sed so don’t wait for the vacancy to appear, get in touch with the employer to ask about opportuni es. Even if they don’t have a suitable role for you at that me, they may keep you in mind for the future. Remember, SDS’s Careers Advisers are here to help, if you have any ques ons or want to find out more make an appointment with a careers adviser at your local centre.
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Broaden your horizons It is said that when one leaves school ‘the world is your oyster’ which means there should be no limits in the pursuit of personal ambi ons in life. Certainly widening your horizons in respect of seeking employment, educa on and training beyond your local area can help to increase the chances of a aining personal career aims and objec ves and o en at a much faster pace. Looking at the map, West Lothian is ideally located in central Scotland for ease of access to main transport routes, two large ci es and neighbouring towns. Did you know that West Lothian residents are within one hour’s travel me to more than half of Scotland’s businesses, eight universi es and at least ten regional colleges? An es mated 40% of residents already make daily return
journeys from West Lothian to other areas by bike, bus, train and car. Examples of wider opportunity beyond your local area include access to jobs in financial services, informa on technology, energy and administra on. These are o en within a 10 minute walk from the main rail sta ons in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Key Facts West Lothian is at the centre of Scotland’s job market Latest figures (2013) show an es mated 71,500 jobs based in West Lothian There are 307,500 jobs in Edinburgh and another 386,500 in Glasgow Falkirk and S rling, between them, provide a further 104,100 jobs.
Engineering their future with Modern Appren ceships Thomas Casey and Callum McCarthy share their experience of the work‐based learning Modern Appren ceship scheme while working for the Bathgate‐ based firm Robbie Fluid Engineering.
Callum McCarthy is 18 and is currently going through his Modern Appren ceship with Robbie Fluid Engineering. He started straight from school at the age of 16. Callum enjoys the hands on nature of the role as well as the prac cal machine work he is learning from his mentors within the business. He also finds a ending West Lothian College one day per week invaluable as it not only improves his skills and understanding but also gives him the opportunity to share his experience with other appren ces working in similar fields.
21 year old Thomas Casey le school at 16 with no clear idea of what career he wanted to pursue. A er star ng on the Get Ready for Work training program he worked on a placement with the firm Robbie Fluid Engineering and was successful in securing a Modern Appren ceship with them. Thomas works closely with customers to solve their problems and specifically enjoys the variety the job has to offer. He rou nely machines bespoke parts for customers to ensure that nobody goes away disappointed. Mark Robbie the director of Robbie Fluid Engineering said, “Thomas has been a huge asset to the business. He is fully commi ed to his work and has developed excep onal problem solving and customer service skills over his me within the business.” Thomas said, “ one of my proudest moments was comple ng my appren ceship in April 2014.” Since then Thomas has con nued his career with Robbie Fluid Engineering and has been given the opportunity to con nue his development. He recently completed a Na onal Fluid Power Course and is a qualified first aider.
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Thomas, Mark Robbie and Callum of Robbie Fluid Engineering Mark Robbie said, “Callum’s confidence in dealing with customers has improved drama cally in the two years he has been working with us and we are keen to expose him to all areas of the business so that he has a good understanding of the value he adds.”
School leaver des na ons Each year Skills Development Scotland (SDS) undertakes a school leaver survey, which provides a snap‐shot of what leavers are doing in the September to October period a er they le school. The survey iden fies whether the school leaver has found a ‘posi ve des na on’ (higher or further educa on, training or work), or is s ll to find an opportunity a er leaving school.
As a school leaver you also have a part to play through making the right choices as you prepare for life a er school — for example, being organised early on in thinking about your career choice, ge ng advice on the op ons that are available from a careers adviser. Also ensure you have a backup plan by making applica ons
1600 1400 Number of leavers
The 2014 figures showed that 93% of leavers had found a posi ve des na on ‐ this is a great improvement on the results from six years ago, when only 80% of leavers were in posi ve des na ons. The chart shows that further and higher educa on accounts for almost three‐ quarters (73%), and employment for (21%) of posi ve des na ons.
award for Best Female Building Skills. Kim’s colleagues at West Lothian Council Building Services said from the very beginning of her appren ceship that she has never been afraid to ‘get stuck in’, by working extremely hard in what is a very physical job. Indeed, it is her colleagues who have been nomina ng her for the awards, proving that she has earned their respect as a valued member of the team. 22 year old Kim Armstrong has won a string of awards since she started her training three years ago. She joined West Lothian Council a er comple ng a Na onal Progression Award in construc on at West Lothian College. She has won a number of best appren ce awards during her training, as well as the UK‐wide
Now in her third year of a four year appren ceship, Kim says her long term hopes for the future include becoming the Council’s first female supervisor. “I would recommend my job and the appren ceship programme to anyone who is considering it. It is a great way to learn your skills, be part of a team and you are earning while you are doing it,” said Kim.
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for more than one op on: whether a different college, course, job, taking up volunteering, or even going back to school.
Positive destination of leavers in 2014
1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 Higher/Further Employment Education
Training
Activity Agreement
Voluntary Work
‐ www.myworldofwork.co.uk
To find out more, visit http://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/modernapprenticeships
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The table below shows a selec on of good quality, full me occupa ons in Scotland and the average annual wage for those posi ons. The table emphasises the well paid jobs, however, as expected an appren ce salary will usually be less, although there should be opportuni es to progress to higher salary levels.
Average annual pay (gross) Scotland, for full me employee jobs (2014) Example occupa ons
Average annual wage
Science research engineering and technology professionals Teaching and educa onal professionals Professional occupa ons Protec ve service occupa ons (e.g. police and fire) Health professionals Skilled metal electrical and electronic trades Science engineering and technology associate professionals Skilled construc on and building trades Health and social care associate professionals Administra ve occupa ons Customer service occupa ons Leisure travel and related personal service occupa ons Caring personal service occupa ons
SCHOOL LEAVERS OPTIONS Skills Development Scotland
Modern Appren ceships
Whether you are making choices at school, furthering your educa on or managing your career, Skills Development Scotland has the exper se to help you make well‐informed decisions. As well as offering free face‐to‐face advice, SDS can help you source training courses, search for jobs, and give you informa on on the various training programmes available.
Through this programme you will be employed by a business and you will be trained. In some cases SDS can even contribute to your training costs. This is an ideal way to ‘earn while you learn’ and you will have a recognised qualifica on on comple on of the appren ceship.
Among the many programmes on offer are:
Local training programmes under the Employability Fund
The Fund provides training opportuni es that will help you to secure a job or progress to more advanced training. Training and work experience on offer is designed to suit individual needs.
For further details of these courses or to find out about what other programmes are on offer, call 0800 917 8000 or visit your local Skills Development Scotland Careers Centre, Cairngorm House, Almondvale Boulevard, Livingston, EH54 6QN Skills Development Scotland www.myworldofwork.co.uk
STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS Business Gateway www.bgateway.com Youth Enterprise Scotland www.yes.org.uk
39,589 35,043 34,781 34,322 32,809 29,962 28,444 25,145 24,378 20,443 19,616 19,350 18,754
The Prince’s Trust Rosie Dowie ‐ Regional Manager, West Lothian rosie.dowie@princes‐trust.org.uk
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OTHER SUPPORT Jobcentre support www.gov.uk/jobsearch Young Scot www.youngscot.org or Tel: 0808 801 0338
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ONS provisional results 2014)