Wondering what’s shaping the job market right now? Each month, we break down the top five stories you need to know, plus what they mean for businesses, recruiters, and job seekers alike.
As we continue into July, the UK talent landscape is buzzing with bold new funding, long term strategy announcements and shifts in tech, training and immigration that are set to shape hiring well beyond the summer.
Royal Mail launches £1 million Apprenticeship Fund
Royal Mail pledges a £1 million slice of its unused Apprenticeship Levy pot, helping small and medium-sized enterprises tap into levy-funded training at no extra cost.
The aim of the fund is to address the growing concern over access to skilled workers, and is part of the Government’s apprenticeship levy rules allowing large employers to transfer up to 50% of annual levy contributions to smaller firms.
Government's Industrial Strategy promises 1 million jobs
The Government’s long-awaited Industrial Strategy lands with promises of a million new well-paid jobs over the next decade and pledges £1.2 billion a year for skills by 2028-29.
It also sets targets to boost research and development spending to £22.6 billion, slash electricity costs for energy-intensive manufacturers and unlock billions for SMEs through the British Business Bank.
38K autonomous vehicle jobs estimated by 2035
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, brings forward commercial self-driving vehicle trials by a year, targeting Spring 2026 for public pilot schemes without onboard safety drivers.
Uber-style robo-taxis and bus-like services become accessible via apps, paving the way for a sector set to create 38,000 jobs and add £42 billion to the economy by 2035.
Skills shortage in construction critical
City & Guilds’ ‘Foundations for the Future’ report warns that three-quarters of construction firms can’t fill specialist roles - and with the sector needing 161,000 extra workers to hit the 1.5 million homes target, that gap risks derailing housing plans.
Employers cite rising costs, labour shortages and a lack of new entrants as the top barriers.
Changes to skilled workers visa
From 22nd July, changes to the UK’s Skilled Workers visas will come into effect, as part of wider changes to immigration rules, and include expanded Shortage Occupation List roles, a lowered minimum salary threshold and extended grace periods for switching sponsors.
Employers sponsoring overseas staff must revisit their licence policies, factor in any fee adjustments and tighten up compliance processes to avoid Home Office delays.
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