The already significant dominance of London and the South East for technology jobs is set to grow further post-Brexit, according to research published today by Emsi and education charity EDT.
The research analysed which jobs were projected to grow over the next five years, and compared them to the areas of the country where these jobs were already concentrated.
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It found that technology is set to see the biggest growth of job numbers post-Brexit, but that as jobs in this space are already concentrated in London and the South East, this would result in more jobs in these areas with little increase in the rest of the UK.
As a result this would likely draw young people with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills away from other regions, resulting in an ever-greater brain drain.
London technology jobs to remain dominant
The London technology industry is already a leader within Europe, although there are fears that this will be harmed by Brexit as large companies move to mainland Europe.
However, with a strong base in technology, particularly fintech, the capital and surrounding South East are likely to see further growth in jobs in this space in the future.
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By GlobalData“Those of us who are working to prepare young people for employment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution need to think carefully about the trends these figures reveal,” said Julie Feest, CEO of EDT.
“At first sight, to equip young people for the new jobs that will be available in coming years, it seems obvious to give them experiences of industry which help them seize opportunities in tech.
“However, if London and South East continue to dominate in tech, then we can expect to continue to see the brightest and best of our young people head to those regions for employment, rather than staying to fuel the economy in their region of origin.”
The findings have led to a call for more to be done to improve the growth of the tech sector away from London.
“If they don’t compete in tech, then regions away from London and the South East might be best advised to give young people experiences of industry in other growing STEM industry sectors in which their area has an advantage,” said Feest.
“Doing this would enable local industry to grab its opportunity to attract local talent as well as keeping able people in the local economy.”
