Completed an apprenticeship in ICT and not sure where to go to kick-start your career? Working in the capital could be the best place for your future, a recent study suggests.
Digital technology is a useful component in our everyday lives. The skills gained from embarking on an ICT apprenticeship will be invaluable when applied to not only a technology-based career, but to those which focus on other areas (but still touch upon technology) too.
Research conducted by Oxford Economics – funded by mayor of London Boris Johnson’s promotional organisation London and Partners – has shown how the technology and information sector in London, the south-east and east England is growing faster than that of California.
It was predicted that over the next ten years, London’s digital technology sector will grow by 5.1 per cent each year. This is expected to provide a major boost for the capital’s economy by creating an additional £12 billion of activity and 46,000 new job opportunities.
Joanna Shields, chair of Tech City UK, said: “London is a digital powerhouse. In recent years the tech sector has played a crucial role leading economic recovery, accounting for 27 per cent of new job creation.
“We are producing world-leading digital businesses, which in turn are fuelling wealth creation and employment. London is one of the fastest growing tech hubs and is proving its credentials as the location of choice for entrepreneurs to start and scale a successful digital business.”
To date, London’s employment rate for financial technology workers is greater than that of New York and the Silicon Valley region of San Francisco, making it the world leader in this sector.
Sir Richard Branson of Virgin Media Pioneers and Virgin Start Up said: “The tech entrepreneurial spirit in London is thriving. Today, there are more great ideas, investors and working spaces across the city.
“It’s a great time to showcase the capital’s successes.”
The need for young students to enter the technology workforce is strong and many huge IT firms have acknowledged the importance of apprenticeship schemes, taking on hundreds of apprentices every year.
Real-life experience of working in a technology company at the earliest stage of your career will pave the way for a full-time job in the industry, helping individuals to better adapt to the demands of the role.
With the London technology sector booming in regards to job and wealth creation, now is a crucial time to make the move and apply for jobs in the capital.