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New to Market

4 June 2025
Oil & gas/Energy, Life sciences

Green energy firm aims to bring skilled jobs to Kent

Hydrogen TE (UK) is seeking planning permission from Kent County Council to build the UK’s first waste-to-hydrogen base at a 10-acre site in Manston, near Ramsgate. The project aims to convert household and commercial waste into clean hydrogen, significantly cutting landfill and carbon emissions.

According to a report from news site BDaily, bosses say the jobs would include skilled and graduate roles, alongside a training centre to foster local talent. The hydrogen produced will supply commercial heavy vehicle fleets and waste management operations, helping meet UK net-zero targets.

Michael Engsted, Hydrogen TE managing director, says: “This area of Kent has seen a huge depletion in jobs over the past few decades, which has forced many skilled workers and graduates to relocate.

“We are determined to help revitalise the local community by giving talented individuals a reason for staying here. We are committed to prioritising local recruitment for positions including finance, engineering and science.”

According to BDaily, the company also has plans to expand with a second plant near Newport, Wales. Joint MD Jeremy Parkin adds: “We are keen to establish the standard for plants like this, which will one day become a familiar sight across the UK.”

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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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27 July 2022
Hospitality/Leisure

Axiom Hospitality launches Truly Talented film to attract new staff

According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), UK hospitality businesses recorded 83% more vacancies between March and May in comparison to the same period in 2019 before the pandemic.

Launching today [27 July], Axiom’s ‘Truly Talented’ campaign embraces a ‘reality tv’ approach to showcase employees whose devotion to service goes above and beyond. Over six months, a dedicated production team from Richer View Media worked with undercover actors who posed in both work experience and a variety of guest roles to engage with the staff and capture them in action at work using hidden on-body cameras.

Only the production team and three members of the Axiom Hospitality management team were aware of the project to film Axiom employees’ approach to their work – from receptionists, bartenders and waiters to housekeepers and department managers.

Truly Talented was revealed to Axiom Hospitality’s 836 employees across 13 hotels in the UK (Bath, Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, the Lake District and London) on Wednesday 20 July with the official launch on social media today.

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26 July 2022
Marketing, Life sciences, Education, Engineering, Executive search, IT/Telecoms, HR

NEW TO THE MARKET: 25-29 JULY 2022

• Recruitment firm Acorn has created a new marketing division. As its service delivery levels continue to rise, Acorn says its new marketing team will continue to support the expansion of services alongside head of marketing Danielle Haynes and others already working in the division. This includes innovation and development manager Chris Bromfield and digital marketing manager Christina Harris.

• The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has launched a new Level 5 CMI Management and Leadership programme designed for the recruitment sector. The programme has been developed to address the challenges recruitment leaders face at mid-to-senior level and equip them with the skills and confidence to take their management to the next level and effectively lead teams in a fast-paced environment. The new training is an extension of the Level 3 qualification the trade association has been running, though prior completion of Level 3 isn’t necessary for the new course.

• Bobcheck, a new platform that can identify missed/lost revenue for recruitment firms has launched. Bobcheck says it was able to help six recruitment firms identify almost £150k in missed revenue. The Bobcheck platform integrates through API with Bullhorn or can also be used via simple CSV upload. Once set up, the platform will continue to monitor actual hire activity with minimal maintenance and no further need for recruiters to conduct manual checks, saving time and focus for recruitment staff.

• Digitas has launched its free CV anonymisation tool, Anon CV, which automatically removes details from CVs that can trigger bias in the hiring process. Digitas says it has saved more than 500 hours on recruitment so far this year and is available to employers everywhere.

• Executive search firm Harper Fox Partners has opened a new head office in Blythe Valley, Birmingham. The firm’s new office will be located in Blythe Valley Business Park in Solihull, and adds to its other offices in London and Houston in the US.

• Tiger Recruitment has announced that it has received B Corp Certification. The certification demonstrates the London-based recruitment firm meets high standards of verified social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. To qualify as a B Corp, Tiger had to complete an in-depth audit, a series of interviews, and an evidence review that evaluated its performance across five core areas: governance, workers, community, environment and customers.

Initiatives contributing to its success include its support for staff wellbeing through flexible and hybrid working; the efforts of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) committee to engage with local communities; its promotion of hiring best practices by sharing expert advice and thought leadership, and its inclusive approach to decision-making that involves staff across the business.

11 July 2022
Public sector, Social care, Creative/Digital/Media, IT/Telecoms, Healthcare/Medical

Digital strategy aims to transform healthcare workforce

Development of a national digital workforce strategy is a key part of a “radical programme of modernisation” underway at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), health and social care secretary Sajid Javid has announced.

The digital health and social care plan set out the government’s vision for transforming health and care with digital technology and bolstering skills in the sectors’ frontline workforces.

The national digital workforce strategy is aimed at “bridging the skills gap and ensuring the NHS remains an attractive place to work”, a DHSC statement said. Also, it is intended to:

  • Grow the specialist data and tech workforce through graduates, apprentices and experienced hires, creating an additional 10,500 positions
  • Embedding digital skills into university curriculums
  • Providing a digital learning offer for adult social care staff, such as offering accessible training and online resources.

Commenting on the plan during an APSCo event at Westminster on the day of its publication, Tania Bowers, the trade body’s global public policy director, said: “The healthcare sector is still trying to catch up on the backlog that was created during the pandemic, so any move to alleviate some of the time pressures on already over-stretched workers is welcome.”

Bowers went on to say: “This latest news should help improve access to skilled workers and ensure they are deployed in the right care settings at the right time to unblock patient delivery issues caused by a lack of available resources.”

She further noted: “Simplification across hiring frameworks in healthcare is still needed, though.” Bowers pointed out that APSCo had also launched its dedicated Compliance+ accreditation for the clinical and healthcare sector on 29 June “to create a consistent recruitment standard that is recognised and utilised across all frameworks, in synergy with NHS Employers”.

Image credit | Getty

11 July 2022
Transport & logistics, Hospitality/Leisure, Apprentices/Grads/School leavers

NEW TO THE MARKET: 11-15 JULY 2022

• Barrhead Travel has launched its new cruise academy – a virtual learning and development programme to bolster plans that expand its existing cruise offering. The cruise academy is part of Barrhead Travel’s core training academy division, which has three full-time trainers. Face-to-face training is complemented by an online learning lab, which houses self-guided development opportunities from industry knowledge to skills training.

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