Based on the Thames Valley LEP report, in Berkshire the number of new jobs created soared from 590 to 1,270 in 2021/22. Some sectors have been more resilient than others, with life sciences and digital technology industry continuing to thrive, whilst industries such as hospitality, tourism and travel were decimated by the pandemic and are still in a recovery phase. The full effects of COVID-19 on the health and economy of our area will not be evident for some time; the same is true for the effects of the cost of living crisis.

3 big sectors are prominent in Berkshire: digital tech, life sciences & healthcare, and energy & environment.

Additionally, Berkshire has key sector strengths in creative industries, especially film and TV production. This can be evidenced with the development of Shinfield Studios, expansion at Bray Studios and new studios at Winnersh Triangle and Arborfield.

Furthermore , Berkshire is also strong in the ‘green sector’, hosting a number of big players in the field such as Syngenta and Anesco as well as notable research institutes such as the University of Reading.

More specifically, Reading is one of the biggest business hubs in Berkshire with 6,880 registered business in 2021, those in Information and Technology/Communications offering the highest amount of jobs (18,000 in 2021)

This all sounds very positive, especially if we take into account that the number of employee jobs in Berkshire increased by around 34.6% between August 2019 and August 2022, signalling a recovery beyond pre-pandemic levels. But what does it actually mean for students looking for placement or graduate jobs in Reading or Berkshire in general?

Berkshire is the home of some of the biggest global companies offering internships, placement and graduate jobs. As they have offices or even their Headquarters in the area, they are keen to recruit local talent so targeting University of Reading student and graduates is very high on the agenda.

However, don’t forget that there are other large businesses such as Centrica, Convatec, GSK, Vodafone, SSE and Reckitt Benckiser, and a number of small to medium enterprises looking to recruit Reading talent too.

You can contact the Careers Centre at careers@reading.ac.uk if you want to find out more or book an appointment to explore your career options and prepare your job applications!