Supply teaching: the new way of working in the education sector

By Matthew Brown, managing director of giant group

If you were to ask the average person on the street what sort of roles they think contractors operate in, it’s unlikely they’d immediately think of supply teaching. However, education is one of the fastest growing areas in the contracting market with more and more professionals opting to work in this way. This trend has been highlighted in our latest analysis of our contractor database which found that an increasing number of teachers would turn down a permanent role if they were offered one. But why is this change taking place and why are so many educators choosing to operate as contractors?

The results from our analysis actually tie in with a wider trend of more professionals opting to work on a flexible basis. The reasons behind the shift are numerous but largely reflect the changing nature of the working world and the growth of the skills economy. Employers, including schools, need immediate expertise on a flexible basis and growing number of professionals are there to offer it. People want flexibility, they want change and, of course, it obviously helps that they can earn more. Many also want access to different experiences rather than being tied into one role and working as a supply teacher means they could realistically be operating in as many as six or seven different sites in a single school year. While this won’t be for everyone, after all, some people do prefer the stability that comes with a permanent position; it does mean they will be exposed to a far greater number of experiences, which means skill sets can come on leaps and bounds in a relatively short space of time.

The growing popularity of supply teaching has also benefitted agencies operating within the education arena which many individuals are relying on to source and secure opportunities. In addition, many are relying on specialist services providers, such as giant group, to help them navigate the often challenging regulatory landscape that comes with working with children.

Another factor behind the growing numbers of professionals working as supply teachers is that it can remove them from the world of unnecessary bureaucracy, politics and paperwork that many suffer from. Anyone with experience of teaching will tell you that one of the greatest challenges can be to manage the needs of a number of demanding stakeholders including pupils, fellow teachers, bosses and of course, parents. However, supply teachers won’t always be drawn into these types of affairs so for anyone looking to cut the unnecessary challenges from their day, contracting could be an attractive option.

Our data highlights that education is just one field where more and more professionals are opting to work on a contract basis and this isn’t just a temporary blip. Over the past three years the percentage of those that would reject a permanent role in favour of continuing to operate as a contractor has grown substantially and we expect it to carry on doing so. This trend is already in motion and it will be interesting to see how the sector develops over the coming years.  

What benefit do you think supply teachers bring to the education sector?

Engineering contractors benefitting from desire for specialist skills

By Matthew Brown, managing director, giant group

Our latest analysis of our database found interesting, and optimistic, results for engineering contractors. According to the findings just 4% of contractors in this field expect their earnings to drop over the next 12 months. But what are the reasons behind this positive sentiment?

While skills shortages have certainly played some part, the issue hasn’t been aided by the fact that the UK is currently undergoing something of an engineering renaissance with a number of major schemes being commissioned, all requiring specialist skill sets.  In addition to Crossrail and the development of Google’s new London offices, projects such as the £294m Borders Railway and the creation of the Queensferry Crossing are stretching resources even further.  There’s also a plethora of slightly smaller scale projects that require expertise including the extension of the M6 (a plan that has been in the offing since 1948) as well as the development of Brighton Marina. These schemes, as well as the many others currently underway across the UK, are just one reason why engineering specialists have been able to pick between jobs and claim rates that are considerably above the market average.

Our analysis also found that engineering contractors are staying in roles for longer than they have done in the past. While this could be a result of the longer term nature of projects being undertaken, it also suggests that professionals are focusing on skills development, rather than the potential to earn more money. The contracting arena as a whole has faced unfair criticism in recent years with some commentators suggesting individuals flit between roles in order to earn improved levels of pay and these results highlight, once again, that this stereotype is wholly incorrect.

However, while sentiment in the contracting arena is high as a result of the ongoing demand for niche skills, it’s likely that contractors will be relied on - not just to provide specialist expertise - but also to plug gaps in the workforce where shortages have hit hardest. Even if there is a monumental shift towards improving the numbers of students undertaking STEM subjects at school and higher education, the UK is now deep in a development frenzy and so contractors should be set to benefit for the foreseeable future. But with only a finite amount of expertise to go around, projects could potentially be threatened if they continue to be commissioned at such a fast rate. A number of industries are already heavily reliant on the niche skills of contractors and overseas workers and more has to be done to get an increased number of experts operating in the field in the future.

Shortages and investment drive roles for construction contractors

By Matthew Brown, managing director of giant group

Growth in the building and construction industries is often seen as indicative of a healthy economy. And with growth in this arena gaining momentum in recent times, there are a number of huge projects currently underway across Great Britain, all of which have created a plethora of opportunities for contractors. But what’s driving this growth and the subsequent roles for specialists in this field?

The rebirth of the UK construction field can really only be attributed to improvements in the overall economy. Firms and investors were highly unlikely to pay out for major projects unless they felt confident that there would be a significant need or use for it upon completion. However, when the economy did finally pick up, many organisations and government bodies invested heavily in their property portfolios and infrastructure in order to make up for lost time during the downturn. And as the financial situation has improved, this activity has only increased. In London alone we’ve seen the development of CrossRail and the early stages of the HS2 rail line as well as some enormous building projects such as the creation of Google’s new £650m headquarters. These projects, and others of their ilk, have driven significant activity for contractors in construction and its associated industries. In fact, our latest analysis of our database found that opportunities for these professionals have risen steeply over the past 12 months.

However, it’s not all good news for the industry. As with many other sectors, construction and its associated fields have been hit hard by the lack of available skills in the UK employment market. These shortages have had such a significant effect that a survey by The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed that two-fifths of its members have actually had to turn away projects because of a “dearth of talent”. If estimates are correct and nothing is done to tackle this significant problem, almost 27,000 projects could be affected by 2019.

Despite this, it’s highly unlikely the market is going to slowdown anytime soon. Only this week it was announced that the world’s biggest offshore wind scheme has been given the go-ahead off the North-East coast of the UK which could create up to 4,750 new roles, many of which are likely to be in construction and its associated fields. There’s also the plans announced by the Government late last year to spend almost £15bn on UK infrastructure by improving the road networks between 2015 and 2021, which will naturally require significant manpower.  And with roles in construction and civil engineering, to name just a few, already being listed on the Tier 2 shortage occupation list, employers are likely to already be relying on talent from overseas in order to continue with these projects. Consequently, it’s crucial that both firms, and the Government, look to tackle the issue and get more people entering this field before it has a serious impact on future economic growth.

While hirers will continue to source contractors to lead complex projects and offer niche skill sets, there is only so long that this can continue before demand for talent simply outstrips supply.

NHS a hot spot for contractors despite on-going criticism

By Matthew Brown, managing director of giant group

The NHS seems to have been having an even tougher time than usual recently. Various news reports suggest the service is not only struggling to stay on top of workloads, but also find additional resources. Topics such as A&E waiting times and the services ability to cope with demand are the subject of many debates.

However, while each political party outlines their budget plans for the NHS, many commentators have suggested that there’s still not enough investment being made. In fact, Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, recently outlined an £8billion gap between the funding available to the NHS and what it really needs to remain in operation. In amongst these budget debates, there have been suggestions that there needs to be a review of NHS outsourcing as big contracts fall through, to the cost of both the supplier and end-user.

You could perhaps be forgiven, then, for thinking that this arena is unlikely to be a ‘hot spot’ for contractor activity. However, latest insight from our database suggests that the very opposite is true.

Indeed, we found that of those healthcare specialists surveyed, 87% were expecting to see their earnings increase or remain level over the coming year despite the uncertain financial viability of the NHS. Added to this, almost half (47%) were expecting to find work in hospitals alone in the next twelve months. Clearly then, contractors are confident that demand for their services will remain high in the sector, but, given the current state of the NHS why is this the case?

In my view, the positive contractor sentiment appears to be indicative of the on-going skills shortages facing the healthcare arena and perhaps depicts a more realistic insight into the current situation within the NHS. The sector has long noted a scarcity of talent, and with growing pressure on the NHS this gap between supply and demand will only widen. It’s perhaps for this very reason that specialist contract staff remain positive despite some on-going negative media reports of the state of the healthcare arena.

And while the results of the general election could impact this demand, for now at least contractors can expect to remain highly sought after.

Why IT contractors are prospering

By Matthew Brown at giant group.

The latest analysis of our contractor database looked at the IT arena and found extremely encouraging results. A staggering 96% of IT contractors believe their earnings will rise over the next 12 months – a growth of 4% year-on-year - while a further 98% predict that more roles will become available over the coming 12 months. But what’s behind the significant uplift in sentiment?

The analysis was further supported by research from Pierre Audoin Consultants which found that daily rates for contractors in this field are set to rise by an average of 1.2% over the next year. 

Another study from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in conjunction with KPMG has even found that demand for contractors hit a new high this year. IT and technology now have an impact in almost every area of our professional lives and you would be hard pressed to find a sector that they haven’t converged into in one way or another. Even traditionally ‘offline’ industries, such as manufacturing, now require IT specialists to help with their daily operations. For example, a producer of fridges for a major global drinks retailer recently installed monitors that predict when an engineer will be required to service the product. And while this saves the company millions of pounds every year in maintenance, it does require IT specialists who can install and manage the initial implementation period. And it’s not just in these ‘game-changing’ areas of innovation that professionals are needed. The demand extends to installing basic infrastructure, developing websites and embedding computer systems into organisations and has led to a serious need for IT contracting talent.

Another factor contributing to the ongoing demand is the number of large-scale infrastructure projects that are just around the corner or already underway. The HS2 rail line, for example, along with the ongoing Crossrail project both require contractors in a range of complex fields. Consequently, experts with specialist skills can expect to be both highly sought after and able to command above-average rates at the moment. In addition to this, there are currently more than 200 major infrastructure projects that are scheduled to start between now and the end of 2015 with a total value of more than £36 billion. And while a wind farm might not be the first place you look for an IT contractor, the Gwynt y Mor offshore site – the largest in Europe – is just one location where specialist skills will be required.

Another area that is driving real demand for IT specialists is cyber security. To the majority of people this probably means installing anti-virus software onto a laptop but for organisations it’s serious business. Estimates put the cost of cybercrime on the global economy at anywhere up to $575 billion and there have already been many successful hacking attempts on a range of major companies. As a result, firms are looking to source professionals who can aid them in building up robust defences in order to prevent the losses that some organisations have experienced. However, cyber security is a relatively new field and there are fewer experts in this arena than most. The Government has gone some way in establishing a long-term solution by training children as young as eleven in cyber-security, but this is unlikely to have an effect for some time. Consequently, any professional with the knowledge of this complex and underpopulated field is likely to be highly sought after in the near future.

Crackdown on reckless behaviour is driving contractor roles

By: Matthew Brown, managing director of giant group

The latest analysis of our contractor database focused on the finance arena and found extremely encouraging results. A staggering 96% of professionals believe that opportunities will either rise or stay at the same level over the next 12 months, representing an increase of 74% year-on-year.  So why has there been such a dramatic leap in contractor sentiment and what’s driving this?

Firstly, the financial outlook has improved for firms across the board as we continue to move away from the recession. Recent reports have even suggested that the UK economy could actually be larger and growing faster than initially predicted as a result of changes to the way GDP is measured. 

Consequently, the majority of UK businesses are feeling significantly more confident about investing and going for growth now we appear to have moved away from the recession. This is obviously partly driving the increase in opportunities for contractors who now have a real reason to feel confident about securing a valuable role.

However, there are potentially other factors at play that could be behind the upturn in sentiment. The entire financial arena has been undertaking a thorough cleansing process in order to rid itself of the negative perception gained before and during the global recession. One example of this is The Bank of England recently implementing its ruling which holds directors and top executives culpable in the case of a bank failing. There has also been a more general focus on developing robust legislation that can curb reckless banker behaviour, like that of the ‘rogue trader’, Kweku Adeboli.

These combined factors are largely behind the increase in contractor optimism.  Banks are seeking specialist contractors who have experience of dealing with complex legislation in order to meet the rigorous demands placed on them by global regulators. These firms now place a much greater focus on ensuring they’re compliant and there simply aren’t enough permanent professionals on the ground to meet the demand.  Consequently, specialists are being drafted in to help institutions process the changes in order to avoid the hefty fines experienced by Barclays, Bank of America and RBS over recent years.

This optimism should be set to continue as the sector is likely to be impacted by further legislation in the near future. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England recently suggested that bankers should “embrace the new rules or quit,” suggesting the regulatory landscape will continue to shift. While these may prove challenging for many firms, this will only benefit contractors who are likely to see a further increase in their opportunities moving forward.

Supply teachers and IT contractors are feeling confident after new subjects added to education curriculum

by Matthew Brown - managing director of giant group

The latest analysis of our contractor database focused on the education arena and found growing levels of optimism within the sector. The addition of new subjects to the national curriculum, coupled with improvements in the UK economy, has meant supply teachers are now feeling significantly more confident than they were at the time of our last survey. So what did our results find and how has supply teacher sentiment changed over the past year?

Findings from the analysis highlighted that 91% of supply teachers expect to see an increase in earnings this year, up 10% from figures recorded in 2013. This isn’t entirely surprising, after all rates were always expected to rise in line with other professional sectors; however the extent of the positivity suggests that this is prevalent across the entire education contracting arena.

Our findings also found that professionals now view a higher income as their main factor behind becoming a supply teacher. This is in contrast to sentiment recorded during the global recession when supply teachers reported higher job security as the primary reason for moving into the arena. This change in priorities suggests that the market has improved considerably during this period.

Looking specifically at improvements in sentiment in the education arena, the driving force appears to be two-fold. Firstly, and much like other areas, improvements in the market have led to increased recruitment of niche skill sets across the board. It’s also down to the expansion of the national 

curriculum last year. With new subjects such as 3D printing, finance and programming being added to the syllabus there has been increased demand for many supply teachers. Permanent professionals who teach these fields aren’t always readily available and schools are having to take on specialists to plug the gaps left by a shortage of talent.

There has also been demand from schools for contractors outside of the education arena. The aforementioned subjects require not only niche staff, but also specialist programming. As a result, many institutions are taking on IT contractors who can embed and install these new systems in order to allow full teaching of the subject. Many teachers have cited a lack of support in teaching within these arenas with 54% reporting that their pupils know more about technology than they do. 

Moreover, a staggering 81% indicated that they hadn’t had enough time to implement the changes brought about by alterations to the syllabus. Both of these statistics suggest that growing supply teacher optimism is here to stay and that there should be considerable demand for these professionals while schools struggle to meet the burden placed upon them.