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Sector Outlook
The uniformed services sector is often dependent on government funding and is
currently facing budget cuts. As a result job oppor tunities are regrettably few and
far between.
The Army employs more than 100,000 people but there are plans to reduce personnel
numbers to 82,000 by 2020. The cuts are likely to see the end of several infantry
battalions. Similarly, the 2010 defence review requires the Royal Navy to reduce its
force from 36,000 to 31,000. RAF bases are also facing closure and there is strong
completion within some branches of the service. To find out about the different roles
within each service, log on to the appropriate website, but then visit the Armed Forces
Careers Office for detailed information about possible vacancies. On a more positive
note, the government has expressed an interest in increasing the number of fully
trained reservists across all three of the armed forces.
Within the Emergency Services, government cuts have severely affected police
recruitment trends. Around 137,000 police officers are employed throughout England
and Wales, not including the British Transport Police, but there is shortfall of young
officers with no plans to address the deficit. You can find further information about
police recruitment trends in the Police Service sector chart.
The Fire and Rescue Service is similarly affected with the majority of the forty-five
fire and rescue authorities in the UK struggling with budget cuts and organisational
change. Competition for vacancies is intense, although casting your net further afield
to include UK airport companies, the Defence and Rescue Service and the RAF may
help you find the opportunity you want.
Vacancies within the Ambulance Service remain competitive with most personnel
being employed by the National Health Service (NHS). Ambulance jobs are
advertised on the NHS vacancy website, on ambulance trusts’ websites and in local
newspapers. As with the Fire and Rescue Service it can be worthwhile considering
employment opportunities with private companies or the armed forces.
The prison service has not been exempt from government cuts and an increasing
number of prisons are being subject to privatisation. The majority are run by Her
Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS) but eleven others are contracted to the Ministry of
Justice (MOJ) and operated by private concerns. To increase your chances of finding
work, consider applying to young offender’s institutions as well as adult prisons.
Alternatively, you could find employment working for one of the 2,500 security firms
operating in the UK. Around 500,00 people are employed by the industry and you
could find yourself providing a security service in a variety of settings including
shopping centres, airports, building sites or even concert venues.
Uniform Services