October 2014 Living and working in the United Kingdom.

October 2014

Living and working in the United Kingdom

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What do you think of when you think of the UK?

London ?

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London is great but don’t forget the rest!

Edinburgh Newcastle

Belfast Cardiff

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Background information to working in the UK

Labour Market information

Looking for work

Working conditions

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England London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Bristol, Nottingham, Oxford Scotland Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen Wales Cardiff, Swansea, Aberystwyth, Bangor Northern Ireland Belfast, Londonderry/Derry

Population: 63million Languages: English, Welsh Currency: British pound £

The United Kingdom

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• UK unemployment rate 6.0%

• Employment rate 73%

• 1.97 million unemployed (Oct 2014- largest annual fall on record)

• 674,000 unfilled vacancies (24%- largest increase on year)

• 733,000 16 – 24 yr olds unemployed (468,000 not in FTE )

• 95,000 redundancies – June to August 2014 (pre-recession levels)

Job MarketThe UK Labour Market Statistics

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• Nurses (operating theatres and neonatal intensive care units)

Shortage Occupations

• Skilled Chefs

• Social Workers

• Electrical Engineers

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• Secondary education science and maths teachers (children 11-16 years old)

• Teachers in special schools

• Doctors (certain specialisms only)

• Nurses (operating theatres and neonatal intensive care units)

• Medical radiographers

• Engineers – Chemical / Mechanical / Civil

• Graphic Designers

• Pipe Welders (high integrity with 3 years+ experience)

• Biological scientists / Biochemists

• Skilled musicians/ dancers / animators

More Shortage Occupations

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• EURES

• Jobsfairs

• UK newspapers (online)

• Company websites

• Private recruitment agencies

• Online agencies / jobsites

• Public employment services – Department for Employment & Learning / Jobcentre Plus

Where to look for work

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• Great Britain - Jobcentre Plus

• Northern Ireland - Department for Employment and Learning (DEL)

Public Employment services in the UK

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• For UK recognition of qualifications, contact NARIC

www.naric.org.uk/

• Learning the language – The British Council

www.britishcouncil.org/

• University courses in the UK – Prospects

www.prospects.ac.uk

• To study in the UK at undergraduate / post graduate level you will need good English language skills

• Internships

Education / Qualifications

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• Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) - 2 pages maximum, typed

Create a CV to match the job applying for

• Typed application letter (covering letter)

• Company application forms (very often online)

Please note, online applications are becoming increasingly more common in the UK and therefore it is advisable to practice online applications

• Interviews – it depends on the job applied for (Skype, video conferencing, via phone, face to face, panel interviews etc)

Job application process

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National Minimum Wage – three different rates, current as of 1st October 2014:

• £6.50 per hour - 21 years +• £5.13 per hour - 18 – 20 years• £3.79 per hour – under 18 years

• Holiday entitlement 28 days minimum (for full-time employees)

• Verbal / Written contracts of employment

• Equality Act 2010 - law to protect against discrimination

Employment Law

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Required to pay social security contributions in the UK

Apply just before or as soon as you start work: Call 0845 600 0643 to arrange an identity interview

• 12 % deducted from earnings between £153 - £805 plus• 2 % of earnings above £805 per week

• Self employed people pay their own National Insurance contributions• Administered by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) www.hmrc.gov.uk

National Insurance Number

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•Personal Allowance – £10,000

• Basic rate: 20% £0 - £31,865

• Higher rate: 40% £31,866 - £150,000

• Additional rate: 45% over £150,000

• Self employed people pay their own tax

• Administered by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) www.hmrc.gov.uk

•

Income Tax

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Living in the UK

Healthcare

Accommodation

Cost of living

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What might be the best thing about living in the UK?

The weather……..that’s probably unlikely!

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The food?

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding?

Fish and chips?

Indian cuisine?

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NHS - National Health Service

Visiting a doctor is free; a visit to the dentist you have to pay

Prescription medicines you will have to pay in England (Free in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland)

Before coming to the UK, make sure you have a EHIC

Healthcare in the UK

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Average monthly rental charges vary considerably depending on the region

For example average rents within 12 areas within Greater London range from:

• £779 per month in Dartford to £1,689 per month in West London

Whereas:

• £523 per month in North East (cheapest region in UK)

• £782 per month is average across the rest of the UK

Deposit plus 1 month’s rent in advance

Council Tax – local tax on accommodation

Don’t forget other regular bills – water,

sewerage, gas, electricity, telephone etc.

Accommodation

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• Bread (800 grams) £1.30 € 1.51

• Butter £1.50 € 1.75

• Eggs (6 large free range) £1.80 € 2.10

• Milk, 2.24 litres (4 pints) £1.30 € 1.51

• Pint of beer (568ml) £3.20 € 3.72

• Cigarettes £7.50 € 7.56

• Cinema ticket £8.00 € 9.31

• Bus £2.00 € 2.33

• Petrol, 1 litre £1.46 € 1.70

1 pound = 1.16 euro 1 euro = 85 pence

Living expensesCost of living – UK shopping basket (average)

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Any Questions?

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