Skills shortage vacancies: the UK’s top 5 industries

You might be surprised where most of the vacancies are. Pleasantly surprised. 

This month, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) published its Employer Skills Survey 2015: UK Results report.

It might sound boring, but it’s a useful tool for school leavers: it shows where the gaps are in the market, and you can be the one to fill them!

Looking at job vacancies (caused by skills shortages) in each sector, the UKCES found that although there was relatively little change in vacancies across the UK as whole, (since the last report in 2013) the pattern across sectors has changed considerably.

The Electricity, Gas & Water and Construction sectors have the highest densities of skill shortage vacancies, at 36% and 34% respectively).

This represents a shift from 2013, when skills shortage vacancies were highest in Manufacturing, Business Services and Agriculture.

The number of skill-shortage vacancies in the Construction sector has more than doubled since 2013: from 5,000 to 11,900.  This indicates that construction employers are finding it tough to recruit people with the right skills.

Ensure you’ve got the skills employers need by checking out the UK’s top five industries with the highest skills shortage:

1. Business Services – 50,300

Find school leaver opportunities, where you’ll get trained up in the relevant skills for this sector, here.

2. Wholesale & Retail – 26,000

Find school leaver opportunities, where you’ll get trained up in the relevant skills for this sector, here.

3. Health & Social Work – 25,800

Find school leaver opportunities, where you’ll get trained up in the relevant skills for this sector, here.

4. Transport & Communications – 24,100

Find school leaver opportunities, where you’ll get trained up in the relevant skills for this sector, here.

5. Hotels & Restaurants – 19,600

Find school leaver opportunities, where you’ll get trained up in the relevant skills for this sector, here.

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