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Opportunity North Wales – A Regional Skills Overview
Source: NWEAB
More information on working and living in North Wales
Explore Job Trends
Spotlight on
North Wales
There’s a lot going on in North Wales
From Holyhead in the far North West to Wrexham in the East, North Wales covers the six unitary authorities of Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, the Isle of Anglesey and Wrexham. North Wales is home to 700,000 people, nearly a third of whom speak Welsh.
The region has a very diverse economy with particular differences between east and west. North Wales is home to Wales’ most famous mountain range and highest mountain, Snowdon. With some of the most beautiful scenery in Wales' it’s not surprising that Tourism is one of the most important industries across the region. In the west of the region, North Wales’ Energy industry will remain strong with the long term development of the new Nuclear plant, Wylfa on Anglesey. Whilst in the east, Flintshire has thriving Aerospace Manufacturing and Life Science industries.
Biomass
will create 1,200
construction jobs and
500 permanent
jobs by 2018
(Orthios Eco Park, 2016)
will create 8,500 construction jobs
and 1,000
permanent jobs.
(NWEAB, 2016)
energy recovery park, needs 100s of construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs when running
(Wheelabrator Parc
Adfer, 2018)
Aerospace
Manufacturing, employs
6,000 people
in Flintshire.
tourism jobs
could be created
in the next
5-10 years
(NWEAB, 2016)
people will be needed
to work in Manufacturing
in North Wales
2022
(NWEAB, 2016)
Nearly700,000 people live in North Wales, which represents22% of the total Welsh population 23% of all Welsh jobs are in North Wales (NWEAB, 2016)
Largest industries in North Wales
Source: NWEAB, 2016
Where are most of the
jobs in North Wales?
Nearly 1in 3 jobs are either in Retail and Sales or Health and Social Care, making these the two largest employers in North Wales.
Growing industries in North Wales
The industries that are growing in the region and are particularly important to bring more jobs and more wealth to the economy are:
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
How about doing work that produces energy for Wales? Or maybe, think about getting involved in work to protect our environment?
Over 33,000 work in this industry in North Wales, with job hotspots in the north west of the region. (NWEAB, 2016)
You could consider jobs like: Mechanical Engineer, Recycling Operative, Biologist, Turbine Technician, Cavity Wall Installer and Evironmentalist.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
AND MANUFACTURING
Can you see yourself designing or building aeroplanes, or working on high-tech products for all sorts of uses.
27,000 work in this industry, with job hotspots in the east of the region. (NWEAB, 2016)
You could consider jobs like: Aerospace Engineer, Laboratory Technician, Scientist, Design Engineer and Welder.
CONSTRUCTION
Work in the Construction industry and you could be building new homes and new schools, or even be involved in the construction of some of the major new developments planned for North Wales.
New development across the region will always need construction workers. Over 25,000 work in this industry.
Future demand will be for: Bricklayers, Civil Engineers, Surveyors and Wood Trades. (NWEAB, 2016)
TOURISM
North Wales attracts a third of all visitors to Wales and brings £1.8bn into the region’s economy.
Over 37,000 work in this industry, with jobs across the region. (NWEAB, 2016)
North Wales will need: Outdoor Pursuits Instructors, Chefs, Leisure Attendants, Kitchen Assistants and Hotel Managers.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
The Creative industries such as media, art and design are particularly strong in North Wales and are expected to grow in the next five years in pockets across the region. (NWEAB, 2016)
Over 12,000 work in this industry, with jobs across the region. (NWEAB, 2016)
In this fast moving and competitive industry, you could find yourself working on a TV or film set, developing apps, curating in a museum, designing the latest fashions, performing on stage, or maybe creating your own works of art.
You could consider jobs like: Marketing Professional, Graphic Designer, Programmers and Software Developer, Broadcast Engineer, and Journalist.
FOOD AND FARMING
Farming and food production is vital to the North Wales economy.
Nearly 16,000 work in this industry, with job hotspots in Flintshire, Wrexham and Gwynedd. (Welsh Government, 2015)
It’s not just about green fields, early mornings or production lines. You could be designing aerial drones to calculate fertilizer needs, developing a new food product, managing a dairy herd or engineering new robotic equipment to feed them.
You could consider jobs like: Agricultural Engineer, Farmer, Agricultural Research Scientist, Ecologist, Biotechnologist, Food Tecnician, and Packer.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Over 46,000 people are emloyed in Health and Social care in North Wales making it the second largest employer.
12,000 work providing social care across the region, and 500 new jobs will be needed in the Care sector each year for the next 20 years. (NWEAB, 2015)
You could consider jobs like: Care Assistant, Social Worker, Home Care Assistant, Community Worker, Family Support Worker, Rehabilitation Worker.
RETAIL AND SALES
Retail and Sales is the biggest employer in North Wales, employing 48,000 people. (NWEAB, 2016)
You could consider jobs like: Sales Assistant, Retail Manager, Buyer, Sales Person,Telephone Sales Person, Vehicle Sales Executive, Advertising Media Sales Person.
New developments; new jobs in North Wales
Growing industries and new developments across the region will mean new jobs and more demand for existing jobs like:
Meet the employers
These are some of the employers in North Wales:
Colwyn Bay Watersports,
Conwy.
Zip World, adventure experience, Gwynedd.
Siemens Healthcare
Diagnostics,
Gwynedd.
Surf Snowdonia, adventure park, Conwy.
D & C Jones Co Ltd,
civil engineering services, Gwynedd.
RWW Innogy Gwynt Y Mor Offshore Windfarm,
Conwy/Denbighshire.
Wockhardt UK, pharmaceutical company, Wrexham.
Convatec Ltd, medical products and technology company, Flintshire.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Flintshire.
Airbus Aerospace Manufacturing,
Flintshire.
of life science jobs in Wales are in Wrexham.These include working in pharmaceutical companies
(Welsh Government,2015)
66%
of employers
employ no more
than 4 people.
(NWEAB, 2015)
What can I earn?
Salaries can vary depending on your experience, the employer and where you live. Higher salaries can be awarded for more senior positions. Salaries also vary for self-employed workers.
What could I get
paid in North Wales?
AVERAGE PAY VARIES ACROSS NORTH WALES
NWEAB, 2013
Remember this is average pay; different jobs will have different pay ranges.
AVERAGE PAY FOR QUALIFIED JOBS
ASHE, 2015: Wales
Learning and training in North Wales
North Wales is a great place to learn and train. There are many options to continue learning and training that will suit your style of learning and your skills and interests.
Further Education
27,000 approximate number of learners
27,000 approximate number of learners
Source: NWEAB, 2015
Training and Work-based learning
There are various ways you can train on the job and even get paid while you learn:
How can I learn while I earn?
How can I learn
while I earn?
TOP 5 JOBS GROWTH WALES JOBS
IN NORTH WALES
Source: Careers Wales, 2014
TOP APPRENTICESHIP VACANCIES
Source: Careers Wales, 2014
Find out more about Jobs and Training Search for Jobs Growth Wales and Apprenticeships Search for a course
Did you know?
There are 11 universities within an hour’s drive from North Wales (NWEAB, 2016)
There are around
13,320
apprenticeships in
North Wales
(NWEAB, 2016)
Higher Education
9,000 approximate number of learners
11,000 approximate number of learners
11,000 approximate number of learners
Source : NWEAB, 2016
For example, a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
Do I need Welsh Language skills?
If you work in Wales, being able to speak and write in both Welsh and English can give you an advantage in the workplace, particularly
if you are working in Welsh speaking areas.
Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey have the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales.
% OF PEOPLE ABLE TO SPEAK WELSH
(Census, 2011)
TOP INDUSTRIES FOR WELSH SPEAKERS
Welsh Language skills as important
(Welsh Government, 2014)
56%
of all employers in North Wales rate having Welsh Language skills as important
(Welsh Government, 2014)
What about the Future?
Jobs in demand each year over the next 5 years in North Wales.
New recruits needed each year.
Which jobs will
be in demand?
Care Workers
Sales Assistants
Nurses
Adminstration staff
Kitchen staff
Cleaners
Farmers
Primary and Nursery Teachers
Nursing Auxiliaries
Bar Staff
Teaching Assistants
Secondary School Teachers
Retail Managers
DoctorsEMSI, 2016
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