Jobs and Careers Winter 2020/21 - 47

P O ST- C O V I D

survive even the biggest challenges. Tech
continued to grow as we came to rely
more on it, whether that was software
to facilitate home working like Zoom or
Microsoft Teams, or communications
networks. This also covers Amazon, who
filled the gap left by the closure of shops,
and recruited thousands of staff in the UK
and beyond while other companies were
shedding employees. There are many more
opportunities in logistics and deliveries as
we increasingly switch to online shopping.
Supermarkets proved resilient too, with
extra revenue coming from increased
online grocery shopping. Companies that
made - or were able to switch to making
- Covid-related products such as personal
protective equipment, ventilators and
hand sanitiser also saw profits on those
items go up, while retailers of home
fitness equipment profited from people
being unable to go to gyms. The UK's
large pharmaceutical industry remained
stable, not least thanks to the resources
it attracted to develop a Covid vaccine.
So there are options for those looking
for a new career even amid the pandemic.
Some industries are so essential and robust
that they are virtually unaffected, while
the government has promised to invest in
jobs and people to help restart economic
growth (see right). Normality will return.
The future still holds opportunities.

Home truths

Recovery plans

The pandemic saw a
growth in the number
of people working from
home, a trend that
looks set to continue

Discover how the
government hopes to
stimulate the UK's job
market after the Covid
crisis has passed

In the post-pandemic world, one
thing seems certain - working
will be more flexible than ever
before. It may have taken a public
health crisis but employers have
realised that their staff can work
from home effectively, some or
even all of the time, and this is
expected to continue even as
Covid restrictions are lifted.
According to the CIPD, the
professional body for HR and people
development, employers expect the
proportion of home workers in the
UK to increase from 18% pre-Covid
to 37% in the wake of the pandemic.
And it's easy to see why - companies
can save on costs such as office space
and maintenance, while workers can
reduce travel time and associated
costs while also having the ability
to create a better work/life balance.
It opens up opportunities, both
for employers who have access to
a wider pool of talent, and for job
seekers who can apply for jobs they
wouldn't be able to commute to.
If nothing else, the pandemic has
proved a testing ground for home
working, and many employers have
been reassured about the potential
issues of managing remote workers.
" Greater use of home working
will make work more accessible and
sustainable for all, particularly for
people with caring responsibilities
and those with mobility or health
concerns, " says Peter Cheese,
chief executive of the CIPD. " This
shift will support and encourage
employers to recruit and retain a
more diverse workforce, which is
good for the economy and society. "

When pandemic restrictions were
first introduced in March 2020, the
government also introduced the
furlough scheme to protect jobs
by allowing employers to claim up
to 80% of wages while their staff
were unable to work. At the time
of writing, this measure has cost
around £41.5bn - and this could
double as it has been extended
to March 2021 - but it has saved
countless thousands of jobs. And
the government has further plans
to help the job economy recover.
In his Summer Economic
Update the chancellor, Rishi
Sunak, promised a £2bn
Kickstart programme for those
under 24 and at risk of longterm unemployment, funding
six-month job placements at
minimum wage, which employers
will be able to top up. There will
also be a £111m investment to
triple the scale of traineeships
in 2020-21, giving more young
people access to vocational
training, and £32m invested in
the National Careers Service.
The " green economy " will also get
a boost as the government brings
forward £8.8bn worth of plans for
infrastructure, decarbonisation
and maintenance projects,
creating tens of thousands of jobs
in these areas. This includes a
£3bn green investment package
to upgrade buildings and reduce
emissions, supporting even more
jobs. Other plans include a £1bn
investment in construction and
a VAT cut for hospitality aimed
at rejuvenating those sectors.

" Some parts of UK industry have even thrived during the
lockdowns, indicating that they are robust or agile enough
to survive even the biggest challenges "
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Jobs and Careers Winter 2020/21

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs and Careers Winter 2020/21
