Labour Market Information (LMI) and Skills Builder
Labour Market Information (LMI) refers to any data, facts, and figures that describe the world of work, current employment conditions, and future economic trends.
Key Elements of LMI
LMI typically includes details on:
- Job roles and descriptions: What daily tasks look like across different careers.
- Skills and qualifications: What degrees, training, or certifications employers require.
- Salaries and pay rates: Average earnings and compensation ranges for specific occupations.
- Growth and demand: Which industries or regions are expanding and which are shrinking.
- Entry and progression routes: How people enter a field and advance over time.
The average person in the UK spends 80,000 hours over a lifetime in work, approximately 30 years. The rise in average lifespans means this is likely to increase in future. Young people today are expected to work for longer than any generation in history. Therefore, it is important to find a job or career that you love, considering you may be working in that area for many years. Decisions which affect our careers are amongst the most important and influential choices we can make.
A young person might want to only consider a job in Oldham, but being open to commuting or even relocating will open up a much wider choice of roles.
Making Careers Pathways Visible with Beeline
Launched in September 2026, Beeline is an interactive tool for young people to explore jobs in Greater Manchester’s growing economy and the requirements at each stage of their academic journey to unlock those opportunities.
Full URL:
https://gmacs.co.uk/beeline/
Beeline aligns to the seven MBacc gateways, which include:
- Construction and Green Economy
- Creative, Culture and Sport
- Digital and Technology
- Education and Early Years
- Financial, Business and Professional Services
- Health and Social Care
- Manufacturing and Engineering
Which Sectors Will Show Future Growth?
An ongoing demand to develop new technologies creates new opportunities, although some roles may become less common. The growth in knowledge-based industries means that many jobs now require specific technical skills and often higher qualification levels.
Examples of sectors contributing significantly to the UK economy include:
- Creative and Digital
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
- High-Tech Engineering
- Life Sciences
- Tourism
- Many new opportunities for young people are expected to be in these industries.
- The growing Green Economy sector also offers a variety of roles that will help the government meet environmental targets.
- Future demand is also expected in:
- Hospitality
- Construction
- Agritech
- Logistics
Some vacancies will be newly created positions, while others will replace employees who retire or move on. In addition, increasing life expectancy will create significant demand for:
- Care Workers
- Health Workers
across a wide range of roles.
It is important to remember that employers across all sectors are looking for young people to replace workers who leave and to create more diverse workforces.
Young people should think beyond what they consider to be a “typical” job in a sector. For example:
- Manufacturing contains many exciting opportunities for creative individuals.
- The Construction industry urgently requires people in both manual and non-manual roles.
What Are Employers Looking For?
Research consistently shows that employers value a combination of technical and personal skills. Employers want workers who have:
- Good literacy skills
- Good numeracy skills
- Strong IT skills
- Motivation
- A positive attitude to work
While qualifications are important and essential in some careers, employers are looking for much more than qualifications alone.
Skills Builder
At Spring Brook Academy we embrace Skills Builder.
Skills builder focuses on 8 essential skills that support pupils on their journey through education and beyond to future training, education or workplaces.
Skills Builder is a programme of study that focuses on the following skills: Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Adapting, Planning, Leadership and Teamwork. At Spring Brook Academy it is taught through structured sessions that allow for targeted learning as well as providing a ‘Golden Thread’ that underpins all aspects of the curriculum.
Labour Market Information for Greater Manchester and Oldham
Below are links to further information about the Greater Manchester job market:
https://employgm.org/news-and-events/understanding-greater-manchester-s-evolving-job-market/