Summer jobs bonanza – but London is top spot

Opportunities abound for those looking to earn some extra cash this summer, with over 12,000 temporary jobs on offer, according to new research by job search-engine Adzuna. The study, conducted this month, shows 12,427 seasonal roles up for grabs in the UK, as the summer jobs bonanza floods the labour market with opportunities for temporary work, a 24.3% increase on 2015.

Geographically, the seasonal openings are clustered in Southern England, meaning savvy jobseekers should head towards the capital for the pick of the roles. London currently hosts 3,864 opportunities – the most of any region – followed by the South East (2,207) and significantly higher than all other UK regions. Together, London and the South East offer more summer openings than the rest of the UK combined (see table 1 below).

This is partly due to the calendar of summer sporting events hosted in and around the capital, which require significant temporary manpower to run. Tennis tournament Wimbledon is powered by 6,000 seasonal staff, in positions including 250 ballboys, 192 court attendants, 2,200 catering staff and over 800 stewards. Similarly, South East summer sporting fixtures like Henley Royal Regatta and Ascot also trigger thousands of temporary positions.

Festivals remain another large employer of seasonal staff. Glastonbury leads the way, typically hiring in the region of 34,000 employees, while Reading Festival requires 8,700 workers and Leeds Festival employs around 5,000 temporary workers.

Show me the money

Teachers are most in demand this summer, with 1,478 roles currently on offer, reflecting the booming summer school business. Other prolific summer sectors include Hospitality & Catering (1,436 roles) and the IT sector (814 roles).

However, the most lucrative summer roles on offer are looking for highly skilled individuals in skill shortage areas. An opening for a locum GP in Greenwich is currently offering a rate of £1,200 per day. Meanwhile, emergency vets can expect in the region of £300 per day to work on standby at major sporting events. Other examples of well-paid summer jobs include top-class chef positions, commanding over £270 per day, and specialist youth support roles, offering £150 per day.

At the other end of the spectrum, the worst paying summer jobs include Cleaners, Festival Assistants and Baristas, typically receiving just £7.50 an hour – on a par with the National Living Wage.

Quirky summer positions

For some, however, it’s not all about the money. Jobseekers with a penchant for fruit could opt for a role as a Strawberry Picker (£7.50 an hour) this summer, while Mixologist positions are available for cocktail aficionados (£11.00 an hour) and, following the trend for Alice-in-Wonderland-themed tea parties, roles are even available for actors to play the Mad Hatter! (£7.50 an hour).

Doug Monro, co-founder of Adzuna, commented: “Plenty of jobseekers will be looking to boost their bank balances with seasonal work over summer, and the good news is that there are thousands of openings to choose from. The summer calendar of sporting and social events offers many options for temporary work, particularly in London. Meanwhile, skilled professionals can cash-in on holiday season and earn big by taking on specialist locum cover positions.”

Table 1: Summer Job Vacancies – By Region

Region

Number of summer job vacancies

London

3,864

South East

2,207

North West

953

South West

921

Eastern England

888

West Midlands

667

East Midlands

507

Yorkshire & the Humber

476

Scotland

353

North East England

301

Wales

180

Northern Ireland

50

Table 2: Best Paid Summer Job Vacancies

Job Title

Pay (Per Day)

Locum GP

£1,200

Temporary Comms Director

£350

Emergency Vet

£300

Head Chef

£273

Special Needs Youth Mentor

£150

Table 3: Lowest Paying Summer Job Vacancies

Job Title

Pay (Per Hour)

Festival Volunteer

Unpaid

Cleaner, Royal Ascot

£7.50

Festival Assistant

£7.50

Barista

£7.50

Waiting Staff

£7.80

Weird and Wonderful Summer Jobs titles

Job Title

Pay (Per Hour)

Strawberry picker

£7.50

Celebrity/VIP Security, Wimbledon

£9.00

Mad Hatter (actor)

£7.50

Betting Operative, Royal Ascot

£7.50

General Picnic Manager

Competitive

Assistant for Raymond Blanc, Chelsea Flower Show

£10.00

Mixologist

£11.00

Search is on to find Edinburgh’s ‘Heritage Angels’

Entries now open for Scottish Heritage Angel Awards 2017

Nominations have opened for the third Scottish Heritage Angels Awards in a bid to find those groups and individuals – or ‘Angels’ – from Edinburgh who have played a special part in caring for, recording and celebrating the nation’s historic environment. Continue reading Search is on to find Edinburgh’s ‘Heritage Angels’

Arise, Sir Billy!

Knighthood for the Big Yin in Queen’s Birthday Honours

Recipients of the Queen’s Birthday Honours in Scotland.

In Scotland there are more than 100 recipients in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, including:

 There is a Companion of Honour (CH) for: 

  • JK Rowling OBE for services to literature and philanthropy

There are Knighthoods for:

  • Billy Connolly CBE for services to entertainment and charity
  • Professor Anton Muscatelli for services to economics and higher education

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) include:

  • Alasdair Hay QFSM for services to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
  • Nora Senior for services to the Scottish and UK business community
  • Professor Graham Watt for services to healthcare
  • Rose Fitzpatrick QPM for services to law and order
  • Robert Keiller for services to business and entrepreneurship
  • Professor Charles Skene OBE for services to enterprise and business promotion

Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) include:

  • Judy Murray for services to tennis, women in sport and charity
  • Polly Purvis for services to the digital economy in Scotland
  • Laura Ann Pender Smith for services to disability sports
  • Adrian Turpin for services to literature and the economy in Wigtownshire

Among those to be made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) are:

  • Sharon Aitken for services to children with special needs and the community in Buckie, Banffshire
  • John Delaney for services to the Teenage Cancer Trust
  • John Dunn for services to the promotion of marine science and education
  • Carolyn Little for services to mental healthcare
  • Angela Malone for services to wheelchair curling
  • Tommy Miah for services to the hospitality industry and charity
  • Eunice Olumide for services to broadcasting, the arts and charity
  • Emeli Sande for services to music

Among those to become a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) are:

  • Paul Breen for charitable services to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Therapeutic Roof Garden
  • Ian Brown for services to badminton
  • Eileen Gardner for services to adult education and the arts in Fife
  • Elizabeth Hendry for services to Clydebank Golden Jubilee Hospital
  • Alice Rankin for services to the community in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire .

Full list of UK recipients:

BD17 Queens List FINAL

 

Increase in modern apprenticeships

On track for 30,000 by 2020 target

The number of Modern Apprenticeship starts increased to 26,262 and exceeded the 2016/17 annual target, new statistics have confirmed.

Skills Development Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeship statistics for the fourth quarter of 2016/17 revealed that over the year:

  • The number of Modern Apprenticeships starts exceeded the 2016/17 target of 26,000;
  • 76% (19,847) of new starts were aged between 16 and 24;
  • The largest proportion of new starts (23%) were in the construction industry.

Minister for Employability and Training Jamie Hepburn said: “I welcome these statistics which show we are exceeding our Modern Apprenticeship targets with employers clearly recognising the value of the opportunities they bring to increase skills in our workforce and encourage new talent.

“As we work towards our 2020 target of expanding the number of Modern Apprenticeship starts to 30,000 each year, we are growing, widening and enhancing the  apprenticeship programme to respond to employers’ needs. This work is paying off as we are among the countries with the lowest youth unemployment rates in the EU.

“We are continuing to enhance our Modern Apprenticeships so they bring the right balance of opportunities to suit employers and the workforce. In 2017 we are expanding the number of Graduate Level and Foundation Apprenticeships, giving more individuals the chance to take on work-based learning through universities and schools.

“We have introduced a new Rural Supplement to help support training provision in more remote areas, we are removing public sector restrictions around MA funding,  increasing the opportunities for apprentices over 25, and  enhancing contribution rates for disabled people and those under the age of 29 with experience of care.”

Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland Damien Yeates said: “It is great news for young people, employers and Scotland as a whole that we now have a record number of Modern Apprentices.

“It is clear that employers are continuing to invest in their workforce and developing skills through employing Modern Apprentices.

“At SDS we will continue to work with individuals, employers, training providers and partners to widen access to apprenticeship and the opportunities that work based learning provides.”