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New to Market

27 May 2025
Creative/Digital/Media, Industrial/Manufacturing

NEW TO THE MARKET: 27-30 MAY 2025

• Aston University has announced a new initiative, guaranteeing all full-time master’s students a professional internship as part of their studies. Launching in September 2025, the Postgraduate Guaranteed Internship Scheme will be available to students enrolled in MSc, MA and MBA programmes at both the Birmingham and London campuses.

This scheme is designed to enhance employability by providing high-quality industry placements lasting between one and six months. These internships may be conducted in-person, remotely, or in a hybrid format, and will be facilitated through Aston’s global network of employers. The initiative is available to both UK and international students.

• Worcestershire-based Four Squared Recruitment has launched its new Recruitment Academy, a strategic initiative aimed at developing early careers and entry-level talent. The Academy supports new entrants with structured training, mentorship, and hands-on experience to prepare them for the demands of a competitive job market. Three new team members have also joined Four Squared as a result of the programme. The initiative helps close the gap between emerging candidates and evolving industry needs.

• Gi Group UK, part of global company Gi Group Holding, is strengthening its position in the recruitment and HR sector by delivering forklift and material handling equipment (MHE) training. With warehouse operative roles in high demand across the UK, the company provides essential upskilling opportunities to meet the growing needs of the logistics sector. The MHE training programme supports up to three candidates daily and is RTITB-approved, ensuring high standards of safety, compliance and operational efficiency.

• Technology recruitment provider itris has launched itris X, a cloud-based CRM and applicant tracking system (ATS) built specifically for recruitment agencies and staffing professionals. The new platform is designed to streamline the entire talent acquisition process with a focus on automation, scalability, and ease of use. itris X addresses core operational challenges in recruitment by offering AI-powered automation to reduce repetitive tasks, advanced reporting tools for performance insights, and personalised candidate communication features. The system is accessible across devices and integrates with a wide range of recruitment tools and platforms. Key features include lead and marketing management, user-friendly design and comprehensive customer support. itris X is scalable for use by both small agencies and large global firms, maintaining performance and usability regardless of company size.

• ManpowerGroup has launched the Work Intelligence Lab, a new global initiative designed to help employers and workers understand and adapt to the impact of AI on jobs and skills. With over half of employers (53%) already using AI in hiring and onboarding, the Lab provides real-time insights into how automation is transforming the labour market. The Lab leverages Manpower Group’s workforce data, drawn from millions of placements over 70 countries, and integrates real-time hiring trends, employer demand and worker sentiment. It aims to give organisations clearer visibility into emerging skill requirements, role changes and workforce dynamics.

27 May 2025
Oil & gas/Energy, Engineering

Energy recruitment firm launches in Aberdeen

Founded by Alan Golightly (pictured), an experienced recruitment professional with more than 27 years in the industry, the company targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) requiring tailored support for complex hiring needs. 

The firm provides permanent recruitment solutions for technical and engineering roles, as well as short-term internal recruitment assistance to help businesses manage hiring fluctuations without increasing fixed costs. Agilient also offers custom recruitment strategies that align with clients’ specific values and growth plans.

Golightly previously worked for, among other oil & gas recruiters, NES Fircroft, and launches Agilient from global energy recruiter Simpson Booth.

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20 May 2025
Oil & gas/Energy, Transport & logistics

International manufacturer invests £170m in North Wales facility

The UK and Welsh governments have welcomed the investment into a new facility from the international manufacturer.

The announcement comes as the UK and EU hold a summit to discuss future opportunities to boost economic growth.

The landmark development will produce more than 100,000 tonnes of non-combustible rock mineral wool insulation per year and create around 140 direct jobs, with more in local supply chains.

The announcement coincides with the UK-EU Summit that took place on Monday [19 May 2025].

Secretary of state for Wales Jo Stevens said: “This £170m investment by Knauf Insulation is fantastic news for North Wales and our UK government mission to drive economic growth.”

Using UK-First Submerged Arc Furnace technology, the new factory will produce non-combustible, low embodied carbon, recyclable rock mineral wool insulation to support the need for safer, more energy efficient and sustainable buildings.

The UK and Welsh government-backed North Wales Growth Deal and the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone collectively support the decision by Knauf Insulation to lo-cate a second plant in the area.

As leaders in the production of sustainable building materials, Knauf Insulation’s expansion further supports the growing advanced manufacturing cluster in North Wales.

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20 May 2025
Creative/Digital/Media, IT/Telecoms

Human skills as important as ‘oven-ready’ tech skills

So says the CEO of the CIPD, the UK’s professional body for HR, learning & development, Peter Cheese.

Speaking last Friday [16 May 2025] at the Houses of Parliament launch of the UK Hiring Taskforce, Cheese told the 200 attendees that at the same time, however, instead of filling skills gaps, employers are also looking for potential in applicants through characteristics such as “attitude, aptitude to learn human skills like collaboration and communication, and critical thinking. The more we debate the future of work, the more we debate about AI impacting jobs and skills in the future, the more we are coming back to these core skills”.

Humanities knowledge is part of building such capabilities into organisations, Cheese said: “People talk now about the half-life of job skills is somewhere between three and four years. In other words, every three or four years, we’re going to have to retrain half of our workforce.”

Access to and retention of talent are a top issue for business leaders around the world, with “almost every organisation saying they can’t find all the skills. But then you question them on that, they say yes, we’ve been getting too focused on hiring what I’ve often described as ‘oven-ready employees’ and they don’t exist – partly because we are changing the nature of jobs at an ever-increasing rate”, Cheese said. “So, the reality of how we approach recruiting has got to be expanded from the point of view of the employers as well.”

He asked the audience: “So why do we seem to be reverting back to saying ‘I just want tech skills’? We know the world is not, unfortunately, going to be a better place if all we have are a lot of tech people. Frankly, we need humanity to work alongside that as well.”

Cheese has been appointed to the UK Hiring Taskforce steering committee.

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15 October 2024
Retail, Marketing, Creative/Digital/Media, Construction & property, IT/Telecoms, HR, Healthcare/Medical, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 14-18 OCTOBER 2024

• A bootcamp for career returners in the marketing, media and comms industry has launched today [18 October 2024] for 2025. Back2Business Career Accelerator Programme, a free-to-attend six-day reorientation bootcamp for professionals who have taken three or more years out of their careers for caring reasons, is now open for applications. 

Back2Business is aimed at successful professionals at mid-senior level with an expertise in marketing and comms before their time out of the workplace. Co-founded by f1 recruitment CEO Amanda Fone and consultant Liz Nottingham, it’s been delivered by f1 recruitment since 2013. Havas Media Network UK has been announced as headline partner for the 2025 programme.

As part of the programme, participants are offered the opportunities to apply for current vacancies with Havas Media Network UK and the wider Havas Group in the UK and other partners, including SSE energy company, Rail Delivery Group and the Ad Association. Candidates can apply here by 7 February 2025.

• Personio, a European HR software company, has introduced AI-powered features aimed at enhancing recruitment processes for small and mid-sized businesses. The new Proactive Insights tool allows HR teams to identify key trends, such as high sick leave in certain departments, enabling smarter, data-driven decisions.

A forthcoming AI assistant will further streamline recruitment by answering queries instantly, such as the number of open roles in a company, breaking them down by location, and visualising the data for stakeholders. Personio’s Smart Automations detect repetitive tasks, such as processing vacation requests, and suggest workflows that save time, freeing HR teams to focus on higher-priority tasks like recruitment.

• Sapphire, a UK-based contracting and accounting firm, has announced its expansion into the German market with the launch of AUG (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung), a licensed payroll solution. This move is designed to support recruitment agencies and businesses as they navigate the complexities of engaging temporary workers in Germany’s highly regulated employment environment.

In Germany, where compliance with employment laws is particularly stringent, Sapphire’s solution enables recruitment agencies and end clients to legally and confidently hire temporary workers without the risk of penalties for worker misclassification or illegal engagement. Sapphire’s AUG payroll solution streamlines the process of placing temporary workers, handling employment tasks such as tax deductions, social security and employee benefits. By reducing the administrative burden, the service allows recruitment businesses to focus on growth while ensuring full compliance with German law.

• Superdrug has launched a recruitment drive across its stores nationwide. The accessible beauty and health retailer is looking for an additional 1,000 sales assistants to support stores over the festive period, as it prepares for busy shopping periods and high footfall during Black Friday, Advent and Christmas. While these roles are temporary, Superdrug always aims to move talented team members into permanent roles where possible.

Earlier this year Superdrug announced plans to open 25 new stores across the UK, with remaining new stores collectively creating a further 350 jobs, in locations such as Bedford Interchange, Metro Centre Gateshead, Rotherham and Chelmsford. The business also continues to recruit managers, as well as health and beauty team members.

3 October 2024
Public sector, Social care, Transport & logistics, Industrial/Manufacturing

NEW TO THE MARKET: 1-4 OCTOBER 2024

• QS Recruitment is offering its staff a stake in the company. The firm has issued shares in the company to its long-standing staff to reward their historical success and is offering new hires the chance to earn a similar stake in the firm. The firm specialises in driver, warehouse, manufacturing and social care recruitment. The company has also announced plans to increase headcount by 80% over the next three years across its regional hubs following a management buyout of the business earlier this year.

2 October 2024
Retail, Transport & logistics, Industrial/Manufacturing

Gi Group reopens Milton Keynes branch

Picking up where it left off, the recruiter said the team will bring their regional expertise to local businesses and candidates alike. 

The Milton Keynes branch closed at the end of 2023 to consolidate Gi Group’s branch network after a key contract ended.

First established in the UK in 1998, Gi Group UK employs 500 people and provides temporary and permanent jobs to the industrial, manufacturing, food production, warehousing, driving and distribution sectors. The Chesterfield-headquartered recruiter serves around 1,500 clients across its 90 locations throughout the UK and Ireland. 

The Milton Keynes branch is located in the city centre at Exchange House, 448 Midsummer Blvd and headed up by area manager Martin Knowles (pictured second from right), a recruiter with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. 

Ed Vigars (pictured far right), operations director at Gi Group UK, said: “With a strong career in recruitment and vast industry experience, Martin is the perfect person to secure strong regional connections and drive success for local businesses and candidates. 

“With a local history, our team will be picking up where we left off and accelerating at pace. […] We’re delighted to be expanding into Milton Keynes again and look forward to growing our customer and candidate base from our new home.”

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Image: L-R Stuart Bentley, Julita Cyrta, Sandy Newell, Giedre Stalmokaite, Martin Knowles, Ed Vigars ©Gi Group

1 October 2024
Oil & gas/Energy, Life sciences, Engineering, IT/Telecoms

Quanta Consultancy Services undergoes name change

“This is simply a name change,” the company said in its announcement. “All existing contracts, points of contact and service levels will remain the same.”

QCS Staffing is a global recruitment agency for life sciences, data centres, renewable energy and IT working in 30 countries across six continents. 

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