With the jobs market severely disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, there has never been a more important time to shine a light on the incredibly important jobs that are essential to keeping our country running.

SMG member, City & Guilds has launched its latest report, Great Jobs, which looks at some of the challenges facing the labour market currently and explores what motivates people when it comes to work. The findings help us to understand how – and why – essential roles are perceived in the way they are.

The new research on the jobs that keep the country running – based on an Opinium survey of 10,000 working age people in the UK and economic analysis from labour market economists Emsi Burning Glass UK – found that, on average, only a quarter (25 per cent) of the UK’s talent pool are interested in key worker jobs in any one of the essential industries that power our nation.

Some key headline findings of the report include:

• 50 per cent/16 million jobs in the UK are essential
• 3.1 million essential job openings are expected over the next five years
• 2.1 million essential job postings are currently open and unfilled
• 73 per cent of essential workers say they are proud of their jobs
• 76 per cent said they feel as though their job makes a positive contribution towards society

We support the Great Jobs campaign! It’s time we rethink the way we regard essential jobs in the UK and truly recognise and respect those who work so hard to fuel the country. To read more about the Great Jobs campaign and download the full report, click here: cityandguilds.com/greatjobs