Launching Careerzone for unionlearn
Unionlearn, the learning and skills organisation of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has recently launched a new careers area on their website called ‘Careerszone’. The aim is to provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ with information and resources on careers.
I’ve led on the development of this new facility, which uses official ‘big data’ sources to generate careers data alongside other resources.
One of the key tools is a comprehensive careers directory, which has a detailed breakdown of almost 400 occupations as classified by the Office for National Statistics. This includes job descriptions, required qualifications and typical tasks. Data from Working Futures shows the projected demand in the next few years, and the average pay, hours and employment rates are highlighted. It also looks at the gender pay gap for each occupation.
This data is complimented by some data analysis that updates automatically when the ‘big data’ sources are refreshed. For example, all occupations are compared by average pay. ‘Aircraft pilots and flight engineers’ are currently earning the highest average salary (£112,840 pa) and ‘School midday and crossing occupations’ on the lowest (£15,600 pa).
Other interesting insights include a comparison of average hours, with ‘Agricultural machinery drivers’ working quite a bit more than any other occupation, an average 61 hours a week. The occupation with the shortest working week is the one with the lowest average pay, ‘School midday and crossing occupations’ again.
Unionlearn’s Careerzone also features a detailed gender pay gap analysis uses the same official ‘big data’ sources. Out of 364 occupations with sufficient pay data, men are paid more than women in 357 of them. The largest pay gaps are in ‘Financial institution managers and directors’ and ‘Financial accounts manager’ occupations, with gaps of 50% and 40.5% respectively. The only two occupations where women are paid more than men are ‘Medical radiographers’ and ‘Physiotherapists’. The gap is nominal, at 1.32% and 1.45% respectively.
Careerzone also features several other resources, such as the ‘Careerometer’ comparison tool, videos and information on areas like supporting mid-life development.
The current resources are only the start, representing first phase of development. Unionlearn are planning on adding more facilities, analysis and information throughout this year. To visit Careerzone, go to www.unionlearn.org.uk/careerzone.