JOBS NOW JOBS OF THE FUTURE

Parents and Educators have a significant influence on young peoples' career choices. So it’s important to be aware of not just how things worked when we were at school, what options were available then – but what the now and the future of work looks like for our pupils. 

The labour market is the availability of employment and labour in terms of supply and demand, what industry wants and needs and who is available for work. More broadly this includes the skills and knowledge people have and how these fit with the requirements of industry. Sometimes we see a mismatch of skills supply and demand leading to skills gaps and demand for talent from wider pools. This mismatch can also lead to underemployment, where too many people have knowledge or skills in an area where there is little or no demand.   
 
DYW supports industry to ensure the curriculum reflects the labour market and young people have an educational experience reflective of skills and knowledge demand from industry.   Engagements between industry and education creates opportunities for work inspiration which brings the world of work to life for young people in and out of the classroom, supporting the development of skills and knowledge while broadening horizons for young people.  

A new suite of resources are available and embedded throughout the website for young people, parents and educators to become familiar with the labour market in our region. Some of the key points are highlighted below.

• Between 2017 - 2027 there will be over 229,700 job openings in our region.
• 81.5% of these will be replacement jobs and 18.5% will be due to growth in the economy.
• 89,600 job openings within Tourism, Hospitality, Distribution and Retail.
• 32,900 job openings within Finance, Business and Admin Services.
• 27,400 job openings within Health and Social Care.
• 21,500 job openings within Education.
• 15,200 job openings within the Creative Industries.
• 14,400 job openings within Science and technology.
• 9,900 job openings within Construction.
• And approximately 18,200 job openings in other opportunities.

There is an evolution of existing jobs taking place in Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian – new tasks, new knowledge and skills requirements, and changing work patterns. It is anticipated that Digital skills will permeate all sectors. The pathways to these jobs are also evolving, the Apprenticeship Family opens up a variety of opportunities to progress into careers vocationally.

If you are an educator you can view more about the labour market here.
Our Young People pages also contain valuable information on Pathways.