Working in the South West

Approximately 20% of Bristol graduates successfully find work in Bristol, and approximately another 12% gain employment elsewhere in the South West region, with places like Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Plymouth and Taunton proving popular.

According to Grad South West, the region '...has much to offer career hungry graduates... Factor in the quality of life, low commuting times, and the fact that South West workers are proven to be the happiest in the country and you can see why many chose to forge their careers here.'

If you know you want to work locally, then consult the lists of Bristol vacancy sources and South West regional vacancy sources.

For further information about working in the South West, the Skills and Learning Intelligence Module, established in January 2001, provides lots of valuable labour market data. SLIM is funded by the South West Regional Development Agency and the European Social Fund and is a module of the wider South West Regional Observatory. SLIM is delivered by the Marchmont Observatory at the University of Exeter.

Please note: The Government announced the abolition of the nine Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in England on 22 June 2010. The eight RDAs will cease operations by March 2012.

SLIM provides details of the key employment sectors in the South West:

• Advanced Engineering (including Aerospace)
• Biotechnology
• Creative Industries – especially digital media
• Environmental Technologies
• Food & Drink
• Information & Communications Technologies
• Marine & Offshore Technologies
• Leisure & Tourism
• Other sectors

Additional Working in the South West resources include:

• University of Exeter's South West region job information provides further vacancy sources and lists of employers.
• The West of England Partnership's Invest West website provides further details about key employment sectors.