With the furlough scheme soon coming to an end, you may be wondering what your next career move will be. Some questions that could be running through your head may include: When does furlough end? What happens after furlough? Which jobs are in-demand?
We understand that this can all be a little overwhelming. That’s why we thought we’d sum everything up into one handy blog post for you. So, there’s one less thing for you to worry about.
Here are the answers to some of the questions that might be on your mind at the moment. Don’t worry – there are a lot of options out there.
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When Does Furlough End?
Furlough, also known as The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, is due to end on the 30th of September. Here’s some useful information to help you work out what your next steps might be.
What happens after furlough?
Well, the first thing to find out is whether your employer can keep you on. If so, then great! If not, it’s likely they’ll need to make you redundant. If you’re facing redundancy after furlough, you may be entitled to a redundancy payment. If you’re on a low income, you can use a benefit calculator to see if you’re able to get additional support from the government.
What to do after furlough
This will likely depend on certain factors, such as whether your job continues or, if you experience redundancy after furlough, how in-demand your skillset is among employers. If you’re being made redundant (or perhaps not eligible for a redundancy package), then you may already be thinking about changing your career path.
Here are some of the in-demand jobs that are likely to provide a long-term, stable career. When it comes to retraining, we’ve got your back!
High Demand Jobs
If you’re wondering which are the most in-demand industries, then look no further! Whether you’re looking to upskill or retrain into a new role, we’ve got you covered. From care assistants to mental health specialists, here are the in-demand jobs based on The Skills Gap Trend Report 2021.
The Care Industry
As you probably expected, at the moment one of the most in-demand industries is the care industry.
If you enjoy helping others and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, then a career in care could be a challenging but very rewarding option following a furlough redundancy. Whether you’d like to specialise in childcare or work towards a level 3 diploma in adult care, a career in care is varied and interesting.
Programmers and Software Development Professionals
Computer skills are always in high demand. So, it might not surprise you that programmers and software developers are required for a lot of organisations today.
In fact, with the continued increase in tech, computer skills are needed for a wide variety of jobs. So, making sure you’re familiar with computer science would be highly beneficial for your job search.
Finance
Finance is currently the most in-demand skill in the UK, with over 375,000 unique job postings. It can also be a very lucrative career.
If you’re considering working in finance, why not start with a level 2 business finance course, where you can learn about bookkeeping, managing budgets and pricing products? You may also find payroll to be a stable, successful career.
Bookkeepers
Perhaps a more surprising one on the list: research has also found that bookkeeping professionals are currently in high demand. So, if you’re interested in finding out more about tax deduction schemes or VAT for businesses, then why not take an introduction to bookkeeping course? It could lead to your new career.
If you enjoy completing the introduction to bookkeeping course, or feel confident enough to go straight onto an awarded course, a level 2 bookkeeping course may be best for you. This bookkeeping course comes with a bookkeeping certificate too, awarded by the leading industry organisation, ICB.
Familiarity with accounting is also a useful skill to have at the moment. Why not enrol on a bookkeeping and accounting course? By taking a bookkeeping and accounting course, you can learn about everything from payroll to dealing with foreign invoices. You’ll also make a saving on the cost of your courses by signing up for the bookkeeping and accounting courses as a bundle too.
Mental Health Nurses and Specialists
If you’re considering a role in nursing or social care, then you may be interested to know that there’s an increased demand for skills relating to mental health. Given the effect that the pandemic lockdowns had on so many people, perhaps this isn’t surprising in itself.
However, it does mean that an accredited mental health awareness course could help you stand out from the crowd during your job search, as well as being of personal benefit to you if you’re finding your job situation stressful. This course is specifically designed to teach you the signs of, and management techniques for, an extensive variety of mental health conditions.
Being mindful of the challenges individuals face from a mental health perspective could also help you to secure a role in other industries too, as it’s a useful specialism to have. For example, if your job usually involves line management duties, having an idea of how to handle any mental health concerns of your employees in a sensitive way could be very beneficial.
Teaching
With schools reopened, there are still a lot of vacancies in the teaching industry. If you don’t have a degree or PGCE, then don’t worry; you could still have a successful career as a teaching assistant, and there’s currently an increased need for teaching assistants across the UK too.
If working with children is something that interests you, then you may wish to consider gaining a teaching assistant qualification after furlough redundancy. Our teaching assistant courses are designed to suit individuals with different levels of experience. So, if you’ve already gained some experience in a school, then the level 3 teaching assistant qualification may be your best option.
Knowing effective ways to teach pupils with specific learning difficulties would also be beneficial, both for your career and within the classroom itself.
Not sure if these careers appeal, but considering a career change post-furlough? Take a look at our list of courses to find some inspiration or give us a call on 0121 630 3000 to speak to one of our experienced and friendly learning advisers.