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Since yesterday’s announcement of the Budget 2017 there has been plenty of reaction from the construction industry and its organisations. The industry has welcomed the government’s Budget commitment to T-levels as an alternative to A-levels, to encourage technical skills.

Chancellor Phillip Hammond today pledged to spend £500m per year from 2019/20 on the technical education routes recommended by the Lord Sainsbury’s panel last summer.

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of Federation of Master Builders explained “the Chancellor clearly understands that the UK won’t address the productivity challenge unless we rethink our approach to technical and vocational education. T-levels could be the answer if the genuinely rival A-levels in the eyes of parents, teachers and young people.”

Over recent years the construction industry has been suffering from a severe skills shortage which is likely to worsen once Brexit takes full effect. Martin Vella,
Managing Director of refurb and restoration specialist Pexhurst believes that T-levels could be “one of the biggest boosts to the future of the construction industry for some time.”

Vella went on to explain that, “a shortage of skilled labour is no secret and with advances in construction methods continually developing, even the existing workforce is becoming unskilled in many areas.”

“We need to see committed, engaged and technically qualified people bringing new vigor to the construction industry, along with an ingrained understanding of new technologies and working practices; T-levels could just do that.”

The new courses will not be introduced until 2019, so it will not be a quick-fix for the industry. However, for the future of the construction industry, the introduction of T-levels can only be seen as positive.

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation has announced that there are now 1000 people engaged in a recruitment apprenticeship. Here at Highfield we are delighted to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, and to say that we fully invest in the training and development of our employees.

Apprenticeships in recruitment are helping to professionalise the industry and enabling us to support and help people to join an industry that can transform lives.

One of our success stories, Ben Smith, has now finished his apprenticeship and is working as a Recruitment Consultant within Highfield. The apprenticeship allowed Ben to gain the level of knowledge and experience needed to progress within the industry.

“An apprenticeship is definitely worth doing so you can learn more about your industry and progress within your company. I have now been working with Highfield for 3 years and have successfully completed my apprenticeship and gained several recruitment qualifications. The apprenticeship has allowed me to succeed in a career I really enjoy.”

Government data shows that apprenticeships are now available in 1,500 different job roles, covering over 170 industries. On average, it is said that apprenticeships boost productivity to business by £214 per week. It is exciting to see the growth and benefits of apprenticeships, especially within the recruitment industry.

 

Cities are defined by their iconic skylines and London is no exception. London is renowned for some of the world’s most striking modern architecture. From old to new, traditional to contemporary, art deco to gothic and many styles in between, there are hundreds of great buildings in the city.

We’ve compiled a list of our favourite architecture in the capital, that are more than worth admiring.

 

The British Museum

One of the world’s greatest and oldest museums, The British Museum, designed by Normal Foster, is sure to make jaws drop.

The Gherkin

30 St Mary Axe, more commonly known as The Gherkin, is one of London’s most famous skyscrapers and has rapidly become synonymous with twenty-first-century London.

The Lloyd’s Building

Now more than 25 years old, the Lloyd’s Building can be described as “office architecture from out of space”. Steel pipes, ducts and towers protrude the structure making it stand out around the city.

St Paul’s Cathedral

A beautiful presence within London’s skyline that has been around since 1710, showcasing world class classical architecture.

 

The Shard

The Shard is one of London’s most famous skyscrapers. Renzo Piano, its designer, is said to have been inspired by London’s railway lines.

What is your favourite building in London? We would love to know! Drop us a tweet @highfieldrec and share your thoughts on the architecture across London’s famous skyline.

From April 2017, non-household water customers within England and Wales will have the power to choose who supplies their water. This means around 1.2 million businesses, public sector organisations and charities will have more power over their water. This change will provide huge economic and environmental benefits, as well as customers being able to shop around for the best value for money.

The introduction of the new water retail market will also open new entrants within the water sector. New players and existing water companies can apply to Ofwat for a licence to provide retail water services. Certain larger organisations will also be able to effectively become their own ‘retailer’ and self supply their own sites and companies in the same group with retail services. However, they would not be able to provide retail services to other non-household customers.

New players can already be seen entering the market. From 1^st April 2016 Portsmouth water introduced Castle Water. Castle Water provide non-household retail services on its behalf, with the intention that Castle Water will compete in the market from April 2017. Severn Trent and United Utilities are also set to combine their non-household retail activities, which will “make them more effective in the competitive market”.

It is predicted that by 2020 we can see the sector to not only have increased competition within the retail market for businesses and potentially residential customers, but also have markets in water resources, sludge treatment and disposal.

It is an exciting time for the water industry and these new models could lead to transformation within the industry.

If you are looking for jobs within the water industry, then get in touch with our expert consultants today on 01489 774 010.

LinkedIn is famously known as the social network for professionals, it allows both active job seekers and passive candidates to promote their skills and experience to recruiters and companies, as well as being able to network with fellow professionals.
Although LinkedIn now has 433 million members, many of us are not as clued up on all LinkedIn’s different features as we could be. However, if you want to get to benefit out of LinkedIn’s features it is worth getting to grips with.

Here are 7 ways in which LinkedIn can help you find your dream job:

1) Job search page

Not everyone knows this but LinkedIn does actually have a dedicated job search function. Either use the search bar to search for jobs within your skillset or click on the Jobs tab at the top of the homepage to be taken to a keyword search box.

2) Keep your profile up to date

If you want your profile to be noticed by recruiters and companies, you need to treat your LinkedIn profile like your online CV. Showcase your experience and skills so that when someone visits your profile they know exactly what you do and what you’re good at!

3) Get connected

LinkedIn is amazing for networking at ease. Connect with people you know, work with, or are interested in – keep an eye out for their updates and interact with posts you find of interest and have value to add. Another major advantage of being connected to someone is that you can message them for free instead of having to pay for an upgrade to ‘InMail’ someone.

4) Share updates

Showcase yourself as an expert in your field by posting updates, opinions and interesting articles. You never know who might see these and be seriously impressed.

5) Recommendations

Why should people just take your word for how great you are? Use the recommendations feature on LinkedIn to get colleagues to endorse you. People listen to the opinions are others, and a great recommendation could do your job search wonders!

6) Company pages

Most companies have a LinkedIn page which you can follow and keep up to date with the latest company news. Follow the companies you are interested in working for and keep your eye out for when they post jobs.

7) Recruiters

As well as following company pages, follow recruitment companies like ourselves. With jobs being posted regularly you won’t miss out on the latest opportunities.

If you have any other tips on how LinkedIn can help with your job search we would love to hear from you, drop as a tweet @highfieldrec.

Stuck in a rut, wanting to progress and get your career back on track? Read on for our top tips to ensure you are on your way to securing your dream role!

1) Passion

The simplest part of securing your dream job is to make sure you are doing something you enjoy and are passionate about. What is it you enjoy the most about your current job, what makes you tick? By working this out you’ll be able to find a job that you actually enjoy.

2) Speak to a recruiter

Once you’ve figured out what it is you love doing, it can be an overwhelming task to work out how to get your CV out there. Enlisting the help of a recruiter will allow you to communicate your wants and needs and let them go to work finding you your next role.

3) What is your main motivator?

It can be easy to focus solely on money, but it is important to work out what else you want out of your next role. Is work/life balance important to you? Being near home? Flexible hours? Whatever it may be, look for a job that fulfils your needs – the more motivated you are the happier you will be.

4) Use social media

When looking for a new career it is beneficial to get on social media; use LinkedIn and Facebook to connect to recruitment agencies and companies you are interested in, and look out for jobs that they are posting. Just remember to showcase your social media accounts in the right light, focusing on your knowledge, experience and personality.

5) Just go for it!

You’re not going to get your dream job by doing nothing. You have nothing to lose so go for it! Set yourself goals of what you want to achieve and in no time you will have bagged that dream job.

 

Start your job search today and view all our live vacancies.

You’ve finally plucked up the courage, you’re in your boss’s office and you’ve just handed in your notice as you’ve received a fantastic new job offer which you’re going to accept. It’s an exciting position – more responsibility, a new challenge; somewhere you can really develop. But your current employer plays their trump card, and make a counter offer. They’ll match, or even beat, your new offer in terms of salary and conditions.

So, what do you do? You now have two job offers on the table…which one should you take? Well, many people would be extremely tempted to take the easy route and accept the counter offer. However, statistics show this is likely to be a mistake! According to The Guardian, it is thought that over 60% of people who accept a counter offer are back on the job market within six months.

In some cases, accepting a counter offer can be a good move. But before you jump in and say yes, it is important to look at the pros and cons of each of your offers.

1. What caused you to look for a new job in the first place?

Maybe your current job role wasn’t challenging you enough; were you ready to step up and take your career further? It might be that you were frustrated, and that dissatisfaction led you to seek a new opportunity. Unless the sole reason for you looking for a new job was a higher salary, it is unlikely that any of these other reasons are going to change. Chances are, within a few weeks of accepting the counter offer these other reasons will still exist.

2. Resentment

Once you’re back in the same role it could be likely that negative thoughts are creeping in. Did they only give me the pay rise because I handed my notice in? Why wasn’t I valued before this? It could make you wonder why you didn’t deserve this raise before – shouldn’t your amazing work and skill be enough for them to appreciate you?

3. You’ve already accepted a new offer

Let’s not forget this new job offer you have worked hard for – you’ve accepted it and are ready to go. It doesn’t look too professional to then change your mind. It could make you look indecisive and unreliable, and could ruin your chances at the company should you ever want to work there again.
If you find yourself in this situation, wondering what to do when a counter offer is on the table, make sure you take a step back and think objectively. Where do you want to be in your career, and what company can get you there?
If you’re considering a change of roles and wish to discuss our available opportunities, as well as career advice and how best to prepare for counter offers, then get in touch today on 01489 774 010 to speak to a member of the Highfield Professional Solutions team.

As a working professional, it is more than likely you have written and re-written your CV more than a handful of times – but if you’re re-writing your CV for contracting purposes it can be a little different.
A standard CV tends to include a small bio about yourself, your education, work experience and skills at a minimum. For permanent jobs this way of writing CV’s works perfectly, but, as a contractor you are likely to need more information so that you stand out from the competition.
A great way of finding contract work is through a recruitment agency, like ourselves, but whatever method you decide to use you will still be competing for that sought after contractor position.
Here is how you can make your CV stand out…
Skills
When it comes to contract work, recruiters and potential employers want to know if you have the relevant skills for the job. Make sure that your best skills are prominently featured at the top of your CV so that everyone can see what a great fit you are.
Previous work structure
As with all CV’s it is important to tailor your CV to the suit the role and company you are applying for. A generic one version copy of your CV won’t make you stand out. Where possible you should include the name of the company, the position you held and for what department – this may be time consuming, however, it could be the difference in you getting the contract.
When talking about your previous work history make sure your most recent contract positions have the greatest emphasis. To save space on your CV don’t worry about focusing too much on older contracts, keep the detail for the most recent and relevant.
Structure
As a contractor you need to sell exactly what it is you can offer. You are more likely to win a contract if you outline exactly what you can provide for the position.

The structure of your CV should include the following:
– Career overview
– Specialist skills
– Qualifications
– Education
Spelling and Grammar
As with any CV it is absolutely essential to check over the document to avoid any mistakes. One little mistake could see you jump quickly from the yes to the no pile.
Think carefully and check the format, layout and presentation as well as spelling and grammar – these are all key components to a killer CV.
New to contracting
If you are new to contracting, you may be finding it hard to know what to put on your CV. However, just because you are yet to gain contracting experience it doesn’t mean you are not right for the role.

Clearly state the previous permanent positions you have had, focus on the skills that these roles have given you and how these will make you an excellent contractor.

Identifying your strong points and what it is that will set you apart as a valued contractor should allow for a smoother transition from permanent to contract work.

Following these expert tips will ensure that you have a contract CV that stands out from the crowd!

Graduating soon? Does the thought of the ‘real world’ where you have to pay taxes, show up on time and work from 9-5 scare you? Chances are you’re waiting to graduate with an impeding sense of dread, wondering if outside of uni life you can survive?

Let’s start by forgetting this idea of the ‘real world’. Yes, you may have been living in a bubble of student life and £1 vodka red bulls, but believe it or not you have been living in the ‘real word’ this whole time without even realising it! I speak from experience; Graduate life really isn’t as scary as everyone makes it out to be.

The truth is, most people don’t really know exactly where they’re headed. It doesn’t matter whether they’re 22 or 62!
Here are my top tips on how you can transition smoothly in to grad life!

1) Enjoy it!

Leaving behind a life you have spent three years creating can be hard, but remember you’re about to embark on your next adventure, one that allows you to start a career in anything you desire. Your success is down to you!

2) Use your experience

The idea of endless job applications, interviews and CVs can be a daunting thought after you’ve graduated; but don’t fret being a student teaches you more than how to meet a deadline after minimal sleep. You’ve got solid proof that you’ve stuck something out for at least three years! Relate your assignments to practical situations and make sure you portray the skills you’ve gained.

3) Don’t be so hard on yourself!

Rejection is normal, even when you’ve got all the experience in the world you’re not guaranteed to land your dream job the first time round. Remember, everyone else is finding their way too – you are definitely not alone! Look around and you’ll soon realisethere are thousands of other graduates in the same boat as you. Stay positive, talk to your peers and keep active with your job search, you never know what is round the corner!

4) Embrace routine

Yes, I know, there is little to no routine at uni, a three-hour day with a trip to the pub for lunch – this can make a 9-5 job seem absurd. I can hear you all asking – will I get a nap break at work? Unfortunately not, but routine is actually good for your health! It is also a lot easier than you probably think – and after all you always have the weekend for naps!

5) The fun doesn’t have to stop

So maybe a midweek night isn’t on the cards anymore, but now you’re out of uni and in the working world it doesn’t mean the fun has to end, workers still go out you know! You have the fun of office banter, work night outs and Christmas dos to come! Embrace it and enjoy it!
While life after graduation may seem like a pretty scary step, it could, in fact, be the most exciting stage yet! With no more exams, lectures, assignments or deadlines, you are now in control of your future.
If you’re looking for a graduate role and have been thinking about recruitment? Get in touch today with Lauren on 01489 774 010 or email your CV to [email protected].
For now lets say goodbye to the post-graduation blues, and hello to your exciting new future!