Known as the heart of the UK, the Midlands prides itself on its incredible economic output and vast-ranging expertise. With over 4 million people employed in the Midlands alone, the region provides one third of all UK energy jobs as well as a large stake of manufacturing and advanced engineering employment. Indeed, it accounts for over 20 per cent of UK manufacturing output and houses world-renowned businesses in automotive, telecoms and energy. Over the past (nearly) two years, all 41 industries that make up the bustling region have had to quickly adapt to the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic. Data & Analytics has played a significant part in this, with business leaders in the Midlands (and the rest of the UK) looking to strengthen existing data teams to help them make better informed decisions, streamline processes and innovate more efficiently. As we look back at 2021, we explore how the Midlands has made its mark as one of the UK’s leading data hubs and the trends we have seen emerge from another turbulent year. Big data, data engineers and marketing analysis are keyOver the past eight months, employers have been looking for very specific skillsets in the Midlands. Unlike regions such as Manchester, where we saw a big spike in demand for web analytics and digital marketing due to the region’s growing digital landscape, employers in the Midlands have been asking for those who have expertise in big data, data engineering and customer and marketing analytics. With the Midlands’ prominent manufacturing and engineering presence, these ideal skillsets come as no surprise. Companies are looking to manage huge datasets, collected at multiple stages of production, and turn them into actionable insights. Cloud-based experience is crucial2021 has also seen the demand for cloud-based experience as a pre-requisite come to fruition. Knowledge and understanding of applications like Google Cloud, Amazon Web Service (AWS) and Azure are critical. In their journey to become more cost-effective without any effect on productivity, innovation or ability, companies are looking for candidates who can manage and deliver a wide range of services via cloud-based applications. Unicorn candidates are in demandDespite their rarity, unicorn candidates have become the most sought-after talent in 2021. With companies looking to become leaner, streamlining their processes as much as possible, a candidate with both back-end and front-end experience is worth their weight in gold. The ability to both be data literate for processes behind the scenes as well as understand, identify trends in and effectively communicate data analysis would blow any other competition out of the water.Product managers: An emerging role Product Managers have never been a core role during my time at Harnham but, over the past year, this has changed – especially in the Midlands. To help create a more efficient internal data pipeline, it became clear to many businesses that there was a skills gap that needed plugging. Many employers needed someone who could not only work between the front-end and the back-end of the data stream but could also run effectively alongside it throughout the whole product journey. Essentially, they required a data literate project manager who could help build new products, whether that be data or software, from roadmap through to launch and monetisation. These candidates need to not only have brilliant management skills, but also an in-depth, technical understanding of the data pipeline. In the past year, we have gathered as many Project Manager roles as Data Analyst roles. Our Midlands division are speaking to at least two or three candidates per day. To go from nothing to this sort of scale in less than a year is unheard of, and is truly testament to how quickly the Data & Analytics landscape is changing. It’s been another rollercoaster year for UK businesses and businesses have needed to continue to be agile in order to jump over new hurdles. Nevertheless, the Midlands as a region has evolved greatly and the sectors it houses have attracted over £1.6bn of investments. As we head into 2022, I am sure there will be more change on the horizon for the region, as well as the rest of the country, and the Data & Analytics market will once again develop to match whatever changes may come its way. If you’re looking for a new role or to build out your Data team, Harnham can help. Take a look at our latest Data jobs in the Midlands or get in touch with one of our expert consultants to find out more.
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