As a recruitment agency dedicated to connecting talented healthcare professionals with rewarding opportunities in the National Health Service (NHS), we wanted to comment the recent news of the NHS's newly launched Long Term Workforce Strategy. This anticipated strategy, comprised of a hefty 151 pages, aims to address the continual workforce and skills shortages currently facing the NHS and ensure a robust and sustainable workforce across primary care.
In this blog, we delve into the key highlights of this long-term plan and its implications for GPs, Nurses, ANPs and other healthcare professionals. We will also address what this means for general practice and what the workforce strategy is lacking in its approach to retaining current primary care staff.  
Key takeaways 
Train &ndash; Investment in training to grow the workforce.
There is a focus on increasing education and training, including the expansion of training routes across all professions within the NHS with aims to:
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Double medical school training places, total of 15,000 a year by 2031/32.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Adult Nursing training places to increase by 92% in 2031/32 up to 38,000 places. With ambitions to work with 20% of registered nurses qualifying through apprenticeship routes (9% currently)
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Increase GP training places by 50% to 6,000 by 2031/32.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Train more NHS staff domestically to reduce reliance on international recruitment and agency staff. 
Retain &ndash; Embed culture and improve retention.
The NHS plans to keep more staff through things like better support and flexible working:
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Expand national funding for continual professional development for nurses, midwives, and all allied health professionals.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Work with local leaders to offer integrated occupational heath and wellbeing services for all NHS staff. 
Reform &ndash; Working &amp; training differently.
The NHS plans to improve productivity through innovative training, building broader teams with flexible skills and offering availability of new technologies through:
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Focusing on advanced and associate level roles to modernise the profession including an increased importance of generalist and core skills needed to provide care.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Increasing number and proportion of NHS staff in Mental Health, Primary and Community care by 73% by 2036/37.&nbsp; 
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Can the workforce plan stop GPs from wanting to leave?
Following the release of the NHS long term workforce plan, a select committee session was held on whether the strategy can meet the challenges facing the health service. Notable comments on this include RCGP chair Professor Kamila Hawthorne warning that the retention plan was &lsquo;not nearly ambitious enough&rsquo; to stop GP&rsquo;s leaving the profession. GPs are said to be leaving the profession at all ages, with the underlining issue being workload. Patricia Marquis, England director for the Royal College of Nursing said the workforce plan was full of &ldquo;good aspirations&rdquo; but lacking detail around retention and achieving the ambitious targets of increased student nurse numbers. &nbsp;
Writer and former doctor Adam Kay also gave evidence to the committee and shared his views on the area of retention calling it &lsquo;achingly vague&rsquo;.  
What does the NHS long-term workforce plan mean for General Practice?
Some important takeaways for general practice in the NHS workforce plan include proposals to close the gap in GP demand through:
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Investment in training and development: &lsquo;This Plan commits to initially growing GP speciality training by 500 places in 2025/26, timed so that more of these newly qualifying doctors can train in primary care. Further expansion of GP speciality training places will then take place with 1,000 additional places (5,000 in total) in 2027/28 and 2028/29.&rsquo;
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Use of (SAS) Speciality and Associate Specialist Doctors particularly targeted towards general practice.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Introduction of new roles into general practice and plans to &lsquo;Extend the success of the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) which has delivered an additional 29,000 multi-professional roles in primary care.&rsquo;
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There are also hints in the report that there are plans to bring general practice and the delivery of community services closer together.  
 Our concerns as Medical Recruitment Partners to medical professionals and clients.
In the new NHS workforce strategy, there is a huge focus on training and development of new staff and additional roles, but increasing the number of people joining the NHS is only beneficial if we can reduce the number of people leaving. What is lacking, as mentioned by critics of this plan, is any concrete proposals to deal with the retention of GPs and Nurses, which has proven to be the biggest challenge for general practices over recent years.
The strategy marks a significant step towards creating a resilient and sustainable workforce in primary care. However, this is only the beginning and more needs to be achieved, with areas like retention and pay still yet to be addressed successfully, to ensure the NHS can function effectively and efficiently for all involved.&nbsp; 
Read the full NHS workforce plan here: <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/accessible-nhs-long-term-workforce-plan/">https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/accessible-nhs-long-term-workforce-plan/</a>
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Sources 
NHS England Recruitment &amp; Employment Federation <a href="https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/policy-and-campaigns/government-and-campaigns/nhs-launches-much-anticipated-workforce-strategy?utm_source=recruiteremail&amp;utm_medium=recruiter&amp;utm_campaign=nhsworkforce">https://www.rec.uk.com/our-view/policy-and-campaigns/government-and-campaigns/nhs-launches-much-anticipated-workforce-strategy?utm_source=recruiteremail&amp;utm_medium=recruiter&amp;utm_campaign=nhsworkforce</a> GP online: <a href="https://www.gponline.com/nothing-nhs-workforce-plan-stop-gps-wanting-leave-warns-rcgp-chair/article/1829860?bulletin=breakingnews&amp;utm_medium=EMAIL&amp;utm_campaign=eNews%20Bulletin&amp;utm_source=20230712&amp;utm_content=GPonline%20Breaking%20News%20(5)::www_gponline_com_article__1&amp;email_hash=">https://www.gponline.com/nothing-nhs-workforce-plan-stop-gps-wanting-leave-warns-rcgp-chair/article/1829860?bulletin=breakingnews&amp;utm_medium=EMAIL&amp;utm_campaign=eNews%20Bulletin&amp;utm_source=20230712&amp;utm_content=GPonline%20Breaking%20News%20(5)::www_gponline_com_article__1&amp;email_hash=</a> Ockham Healthcare <a href="https://ockham.healthcare/what-does-the-nhs-workforce-plan-mean-for-general-practice/#:~:text=This%20Plan%20commits%20to%20initially,%2F28%20and%202028%2F29">https://ockham.healthcare/what-does-the-nhs-workforce-plan-mean-for-general-practice/#:~:text=This%20Plan%20commits%20to%20initially,%2F28%20and%202028%2F29</a>.
 Nursing times <a href="https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/nhs-workforce-plan-aspirational-but-lacking-detail-says-nurse-leader-12-07-2023/?eea=bUplRGtwZEZteC9pUXNWdWlRTTk2dThWNXdDUDI2aURZa3VPWXZ5OEJrTT0%3D&amp;utm_source=acs&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NT_MAR_WYMHM-23%2F07%2F14_A%2FB%20test%20on%20subject&amp;deliveryName=DM157669">https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/nhs-workforce-plan-aspirational-but-lacking-detail-says-nurse-leader-12-07-2023/?eea=bUplRGtwZEZteC9pUXNWdWlRTTk2dThWNXdDUDI2aURZa3VPWXZ5OEJrTT0%3D&amp;utm_source=acs&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NT_MAR_WYMHM-23%2F07%2F14_A%2FB%20test%20on%20subject&amp;deliveryName=DM157669</a>

What does the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan mean for Primary Care & General Practice? 

Case Study : Headhunting for a SAP FI-TR Consultant 

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The technology industry's insatiable hunger for skilled talent has reached unprecedented levels, presenting a pressing challenge: the talent gap. Addressing this critical issue head-on, industry powerhouses SAP and Microsoft have joined forces in a strategic partnership that harnesses the game-changing potential of Generative AI. In this ground-breaking collaboration, SAP's expertise in enterprise software combines with Microsoft's leadership in AI technology to empower organizations in closing the talent gap and reshaping the future of the industry.
This partnership signifies a pivotal moment in the industry's evolution, as organizations can now navigate the talent gap with cutting-edge solutions. Join us as we explore how SAP and Microsoft's collaboration with Generative AI revolutionizes talent acquisition, propelling the technology market forward and opening new avenues for success.
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<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/tmxpz23av78f0vr6agpkm366sy7d" alt="" width="800" height="450">
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<h4>Our key takeaways from this collaboration:</h4>
Tackling the Talent Gap: The partnership between SAP and Microsoft aims to address the talent gap, a critical issue faced by organizations in the technology industry. By harnessing the power of Generative AI, they intend to provide organizations with advanced tools to bridge this gap effectively.
Leveraging Generative AI: Generative AI enables the creation of synthetic data that closely mimic real-world scenarios. SAP and Microsoft will use this technology to develop innovative solutions for talent development and acquisition. These solutions will help organizations identify skill gaps, build personalized learning experiences, and attract top talent.
Combining Expertise: The collaboration between SAP and Microsoft brings together two industry leaders with complementary strengths. SAP's deep understanding of enterprise software and business processes, combined with Microsoft's AI expertise, creates a unique partnership poised to deliver impactful solutions for the talent gap.
Optimizing Talent Strategies: The joint Generative AI offerings will empower organizations to optimize their talent strategies. By analyzing data and generating insights, organizations can identify high-potential employees, nurture their skills, and align them with strategic goals. This approach helps drive workforce productivity and increase employee retention.
Enhancing Workforce Productivity: Through Generative AI, SAP and Microsoft will enable organizations to create virtual environments for training and development. This immersive and interactive approach enhances workforce productivity by providing employees with realistic and hands-on learning experiences. It also enables remote collaboration and fosters a culture of continuous learning.
Driving Sustainable Growth: Closing the talent gap is essential for sustainable business growth. With the joint Generative AI offerings, organizations can acquire and develop the right talent, ensuring a skilled workforce capable of driving innovation and competitiveness. This collaboration contributes to the long-term success of organizations and the overall technology ecosystem.
The partnership between SAP and Microsoft brings together the power of Generative AI to address the talent gap in the technology industry. By leveraging this advanced technology, organizations can optimize their talent strategies, enhance workforce productivity, and drive sustainable growth. This collaboration marks an important milestone in tackling the pressing challenge of the talent gap and shaping the future of the technology market.
SAP Press Release:&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sap.com/2023/05/sap-microsoft-joint-generative-ai-offerings-talent-gap/">https://news.sap.com/2023/05/sap-microsoft-joint-generative-ai-offerings-talent-gap/</a>
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SAP and Microsoft Join Forces to Close the Talent Gap with Generative AI

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In today's fast-paced and demanding work environments, it's crucial for organizations to prioritize the mental health and well-being of their employees. One prevalent mental health issue that often goes unnoticed and unaddressed is anxiety. In this blog post, we will explore why supporting employees' mental health, particularly addressing anxiety, is incredibly important. We will delve into the benefits it brings to both employees and employers, as well as discuss practical strategies you can utilise to create a supportive workplace environment. 
<h4>The Importance of Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace:</h4>
 Employee Well-being
By acknowledging and supporting employees' mental health, we create an atmosphere that fosters overall well-being. When employees feel supported, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and satisfied in their roles. Prioritizing mental health cultivates a sense of belonging and care, resulting in a positive work environment.
Enhanced Productivity
Anxiety can hinder an individual's ability to focus and perform effectively. By providing mental health support, organizations empower employees to manage their anxiety, enabling them to concentrate on their tasks and boost productivity. Addressing anxiety also reduces the risk of burnout and absenteeism, resulting in a more efficient and effective workforce. 
Reduced Stigma
Openly addressing anxiety and mental health in the workplace helps break down the stigma surrounding these topics. When organizations encourage conversations about mental health, they create a safe space for individuals to seek support without fear of judgment or negative consequences. This fosters a culture of acceptance, empathy, and inclusivity.
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<h4>Strategies to support employee's mental health and address anxiety</h4>
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1. Promote Awareness and Education
Organize workshops, seminars, or training sessions to raise awareness about anxiety and its impact on mental health. Provide resources and information on stress management techniques, coping strategies, and available support services. By equipping employees with knowledge, they can better understand and manage their anxiety.
2. Foster a Supportive Culture
Create an environment where open conversations about mental health are encouraged and supported. Develop policies that prioritize mental well-being and establish procedures for employees to seek assistance when needed. Encourage managers and team leaders to actively listen and be approachable, creating a supportive network within the organization.
3. Flexible Work Options
Recognize that different individuals may require different work arrangements to manage their anxiety effectively. Offer flexible work options such as remote work, flexible schedules, or compressed workweeks. These accommodations can help alleviate stressors and create a healthier work-life balance.
4. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
Implement or enhance existing EAPs that provide confidential counselling services and mental health resources. Collaborate with mental health professionals who can offer support, guidance, and therapy when employees need it most. Promote these programs to ensure employees are aware of the available resources.
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Supporting employees' mental health and addressing anxiety is not just a moral obligation but also a strategic investment for organizations. By fostering a culture that prioritizes mental well-being, employers create a positive work environment, increase productivity, and reduce turnover rates. By implementing practical strategies such as awareness programs, flexible work options, and access to counselling services, organizations can effectively support their employees' mental health and address anxiety. Let's work together to create workplaces that prioritize mental health, where employees can thrive, and anxiety is acknowledged and managed with compassion and understanding.
Remember, the journey toward a mentally healthy workplace begins with open dialogue, empathy, and collective commitment. Together, we can make a significant positive impact on the lives of our employees and create a better, more supportive work environment.
If you or someone you know is struggling with anxiety or mental health concerns, please seek professional help or contact a helpline in your country. 
A few links for support: 
Samaritans&nbsp;<a href="https://lnkd.in/dJKbeq7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lnkd.in/dJKbeq7</a>
Call 116 123​ or Email jo@samaritans.org​ - Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, you can call Samaritans to talk about anything that is upsetting you
Campaign Against Living Miserably -&nbsp;<a href="https://lnkd.in/gC5P2u6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lnkd.in/gC5P2u6</a>
0800 58 58 58​ or Webchat&nbsp;<a href="https://lnkd.in/dRpBR5e" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lnkd.in/dRpBR5e</a> - Available between 5pm-midnight every day, CALM is leading a campaign against male suicide.
Shout UK -&nbsp;<a href="https://giveusashout.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://giveusashout.org/</a>
Text the word 'SHOUT' to 85258 - Available 24/7, SHOUT is a free text-based service for anyone needing support.
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Disclaimer: the guidance in this blog is provided for general information purposes and is not in any way legal or professional advice. You should consult a professional or legal advisor regarding employee mental health where appropriate.

Supporting Mental Health in the workplace : Addressing Anxiety

The IR35-off payroll reform is a topic that has been making headlines in the UK for quite some time now. This reform, which was introduced on April 6th, 2021, has significant implications for both IT contractors and businesses.&nbsp;
We spoke about the changes to IR35 off-payroll back in 2021 on our blog 'IR35 off-payroll changes and how it affects contractors and businesses'&nbsp;and with the recent <a title="spring budget 2023" href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/insights/key-aspects-of-spring-budget-2023-employees-need-to-know/">spring budget</a> last month (read more about that <a href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/insights/key-aspects-of-spring-budget-2023-employees-need-to-know/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>) there was speculation that these changes might be reversed by Jeremy Hunt.
However, unfortunately for self-employed individuals, no U-turns we&rsquo;re announced.
So as it stands &ndash; each contractor's role is individually assessed within the guidelines and determined as either inside or outside IR35 &ndash; and businesses will continue to assess each contractor's individual working practices.
In this article, we'll summarise what IR35-off payroll reform means for IT contractors and businesses. 
Let's understand what IR35 is...
IR35 is a tax legislation that was introduced in 2000 to tackle tax avoidance by workers who were using intermediaries such as personal service companies (PSCs) to disguise their employment status. The legislation was introduced to ensure that workers acting as employees were paying the same tax and national insurance contributions as other employees. 
So what does that mean for you? Under the new IR35-off payroll reform, all medium and large companies in the private sector are now responsible for determining the employment status of their contractors for tax purposes. This means that businesses must assess whether the contractor is a genuine contractor or whether they should be treated as an employee for tax purposes. If a&nbsp;contractor&nbsp;is deemed an employee for tax purposes, the company must deduct income tax and national insurance contributions from their pay and pay employer national insurance contributions. This means that IT contractors will no longer be able to benefit from the tax advantages of operating through a PSC. For&nbsp;businesses, the IR35-off payroll reform means that they will need to take extra care when engaging with contractors. They will need to carry out a thorough assessment of the contractor's employment status and ensure that they are paying the correct amount of tax and national insurance contributions. The truth is... The assessment process can be complex and time-consuming, and businesses may need to seek professional advice to ensure they are complying with the legislation. Failure to comply with the legislation can result in fines and penalties.
 The IR35-off payroll reform has caused some controversy. Many IT contractors have argued that it will lead to a reduction in their take-home pay and make it more difficult for them to win contracts. However, supporters of the reform argue that it will ensure that workers are paying the correct amount of tax and national insurance contributions and will level the playing field for employees and contractors.
The IR35-off payroll reform is a significant change that will affect both IT contractors and businesses and it's important for businesses to carry out a thorough assessment of their contractors' employment status and for IT contractors to be aware of the changes and how they will affect their take-home pay. Seeking professional advice can help both parties navigate the complexities of the reform and ensure compliance with the legislation.
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For more information on IR35 and how it affects you as an IT contractor or business that hires IT contractors Take a look at our previous blog&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/insights/ir35-off-payroll-changes-and-how-it-effects-contractors-and-businesses-/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>
Visit Gov UK <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-off-payroll-working-ir35" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Website</a>
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IR35  for IT Contractors – off-payroll reformed framework is here to stay 

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Yesterday (March 15) Jeremy Hunt put forward his Spring Budget, outlining his 4 pillars for economic growth &ndash; enterprise, employment, education and everywhere - with a strong emphasis on getting Britain &ldquo;back into work&rdquo;. 
We&rsquo;ve narrowed down 6 key aspects of the Spring Budget that employers need to know&hellip;
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<h4>Rise in Corporation Tax to incentivise investment</h4>
The rise of Corporation tax from 19% to 25% will go ahead but Hunt insists that just 10 percent of UK biz will pay the 25% rate. His reasoning came from comparing our capital investment and productivity to be lower than countries like France &amp; Germany and that &ldquo;our corporation tax did not incentivise investment as effectively as countries with higher headline rates.&rdquo;
Alongside this Hunt revealed a new &ldquo;full expensing&rdquo; scheme where support and investment will also be provided in the form of 100 % first year capital allowances, allowing businesses to deduct the full cost of IT equipment and machinery from pre-tax profits.
 
<h4>Reduced childcare costs to support working parents</h4>
With the aim to get parents back in to work hunt declared that &ldquo;if we really want to remove the barriers to work we need to go further&rdquo; offering 30 hours of free childcare for every child over the age nine months with working parents.&nbsp; This would be available by September 2025, and introduced in 2 phases:
April 2024 &ndash; 15 hours free childcare for working parents of 2-year-olds September 2024 &ndash; 15 hours free childcare for working parents of children aged 9 months to 3 years.
Funding will also go towards schools and local authorities to increase wraparound care with the aim to remove the hurdles caused by current limited availability for parents of school-age children.
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<h4>Lower pension tax to keep highly skilled in work</h4>
The chancellor announced an increase in pensions tax-free annual allowance from &pound;40,000 - &pound;60,000 to incentivise skilled workers to stay in work, stating that &ldquo;no one should be pushed out of the workforce for tax reasons.&rdquo;
This extends to also abolishing the lifetime allowance altogether, this is huge for workers like Doctors, as this means they will no longer be forced to retire early because of pension tax, helping to retain senior doctors in the NHS to not only provide care but help mentor junior colleagues &ndash; <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p625#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20scrapping%20of%20the%20lifetime,and%20mentoring%20their%20junior%20colleagues.">Doctors welcome the government&rsquo;s decision.</a>
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<h4>'Returnerships' for over 50s</h4>
A new type of apprenticeship is set to be launched to attract &ldquo;older workers&rdquo; over 50, back in to the labour market: Returnerships.
 These Returnerships aim to refine existing skills programmes to make them accessible for older workers over 50, with a focus on giving people the support they need to find a recognisable path back into work. 
<h4>More support for occupational health</h4>
Hunt&rsquo;s employment plans also recognise those forced to leave work because of a condition such as back pain or mental health issue, hunt believes that &ldquo;we should give them support before they end up leaving their job.&rdquo; This &pound;406m plan to tackle health issues keeping people out of work will focus on mental health, musculoskeletal conditions and cardiovascular disease and will involve two new consultations on how to improve &ldquo;instant availability&rdquo; for the support &ndash; stating that employers will have a key role to play in this, with double funding offered for SMEs.
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<h4>Universal Support scheme to help disabled into work</h4>
The chancellor's plans offer further support for getting into work in particular for those with disabilities and or long-term sickness, claiming that &ldquo;With Zoom, Teams and new working models that make it easier to work from home, this is possible now more than ever&rdquo;. A voluntary employment scheme for disabled people and those with health conditions will be funded in England &amp; Wales. This &lsquo;Universal Support will offer up to &pound;4,000 per person and will invest support 50,000 per year.&nbsp; These plans also include abolishing the work capability assessment to support claimants back into work without fear of losing their financial support.  
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These key points, alongside hunt&rsquo;s draft of reforms aimed at helping the economically inactive and those out of the labour market back into work will hopefully address recruitment and retention issues many employers have been facing. Wondering how the Spring Budget 2023 will impact the technology sector? Find out <a href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/insights/2023-spring-budget-impact-on-the-technology-sector/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Key aspects of Spring Budget 2023 employees need to know

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Today (March 15) Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced his Spring Budget for 2023, from Investment zones and tax initiatives to AI &amp; Quantum Computing, we&rsquo;ve got a rundown of the measures and policies that will impact the technology sector.&nbsp;
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<h4>Investment</h4>
In his announcement, Hunt praised the growth and regeneration scheme success of Canary Wharf and Liverpool Docks, and so wants his new budget to create this success elsewhere in the UK.
The budget promised to create 12 new investment zones around the UK with 80m of funding allocated for each over five years.
The areas chosen will be centred around university tech hubs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, offering employers lower national insurance contributions, lower business rates, and capital allowances for purchasing new machinery and equipment.&nbsp;
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<h4>Tax initiatives</h4>
For businesses outside of these investment zones, support and investment will also be provided in the form of 100 % first year capital allowances, allowing them to deduct the full cost of equipment from pre-tax profits.&nbsp; This plan is intended to soften the impact of the decision to raise corporation tax from 19% to 25% in the new financial year, but the chancellor has claimed that this will only affect 10% of businesses.&nbsp; The budget also will reform the UK&rsquo;s R&amp;D tax credit to include cloud computing and data costs from April 2023. This means that all cloud computing costs associated with R&amp;D, including storage, will qualify for relief. Hunt described this policy as a &pound;1.8bn package of support helping 20,000 cutting edge who day by day are turning Britain into a science superpower.&nbsp;
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<h4>AI &amp; Quantum Computing&nbsp;</h4>
Hunt announced enthusiasm for investment in new technologies such as Quantum Computing &amp; AI, putting forward a &pound;2.5 billon investment into this area. This will be a 10-year programme to take over the current &pound;1bn National Quantum Technologies Programme. The money will go towards training schemes for scientists, engineers, and technicians in the next-generation field.
 This action comes from recommendations from Sir Patrick Vallance and the independent Future of Compute Review which includes establishing an AI sandbox for innovators to test and try products before they go to market, clarifying intellectual property rules and building an Exascale Supercomputer. Alongside this Hunt added there will be an annual &pound;1m Manchester Prize (named after the first small-scale experimental machine built in Manchester.) for the most ground-breaking AI research. There are plans to fund centres for doctoral training, with the government planning to partner with academia and industry to create 1000 new AI PhDs. This will be backed by &pound;117 million of funding to create the PhDs, with further leveraging industry and university funding.
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More on the full Spring Budget 2023 <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spring-budget-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>
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2023 Spring Budget Impact on the Technology Sector 

International Women's Day is a day of celebration and recognition of the achievements and struggles of women throughout history. It is a day to honour the women who have struggled for gender equality and the progress that has been made, and also to acknowledge the work that still needs to be done.&nbsp;
But equal opportunities aren&rsquo;t enough, and at times can even be exclusionary, rather than inclusive.
The key theme of International Women's Day 2023 is the concept of embracing equity over equality. While these two terms are often used interchangeably, they can have distinct meanings and implications, especially in the workplace.
Equality refers to treating everyone the same, regardless of their differences. It assumes that everyone has the same needs and that treating everyone the same will lead to fairness. 
Yet, this approach can overlook systemic barriers and disadvantages that some groups may face, such as women and people of colour. 
Gender is intersectional and women as a group are diverse. So for example, if a company offers a standardized training program, but it does not consider the unique needs and experiences of women or people of colour, it may perpetuate existing inequalities rather than address them.
Equity recognizes that everyone has different needs and experiences&nbsp;and that addressing those differences is necessary to achieve fairness. It considers systemic barriers and seeks to level the playing field by providing resources and support to those who need it most. 
For example, if a company offers a mentoring program specifically for women or people of colour, it acknowledges the unique challenges these groups may face and provides targeted support to help them succeed.
In the workplace, the concept of equity vs. equality has significant implications for promoting gender diversity and inclusion. While companies may strive to treat all employees equally, this approach may overlook the barriers that women face, such as unconscious bias and the lack of female role models in leadership positions. 
By adopting an equity-based approach, companies can take active steps to address these barriers and provide targeted support to help women succeed.
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<h4>Steps you can follow to embrace Equity over Equality in the workplace</h4>
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Educate yourself and your team Take the time to educate yourself and your team on the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. This includes attending and providing training workshops, seminars, or webinars on topics such as unconscious bias, microaggressions, and cultural competence. Diversity training can help employees understand how cultural differences can impact how people work and interact at work. Its important to communicate why training is being offered and what you want to achieve from it. This helps to keep employees motivated and understand how learnings will tie back to your company goals.
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Communicate importance of managing bias It&rsquo;s valuable to remember that no one is an expert and we&rsquo;re all on an ongoing journey when it comes to respecting and embracing other people&rsquo;s experiences and realities. Leaders and employees can better manage bias and foster a more inclusive workplace through cultural humility. No one is perfect.
Did you know?: Unconscious biases do not necessarily align with our conscious beliefs or declared beliefs, which means unconscious biases are even more important to pay attention to. <a href="https://libraryguides.saic.edu/learn_unlearn/foundations6">https://libraryguides.saic.edu/learn_unlearn/foundations6</a> 
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Review your hiring and promotion practices Is your current hiring process and promotion of your jobs &amp; company fair and inclusive? If you&rsquo;re not certain on this, now is a good time to review. You can also consider implementing blind hiring practices or ensuring that your job descriptions use inclusive language. More on designing equitable and inclusive hiring practices <a href="https://www.lever.co/blog/designing-equitable-and-inclusive-hiring-practices/">here</a><a href="https://www.lever.co/blog/designing-equitable-and-inclusive-hiring-practices/">.&nbsp;</a>
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Assess your company policies As well as a review of your hiring practices, assess your company policies and the way issues are handled within the business. Leaders need to determine whether policies enable or perpetuate discrimination in the workplace and remodel them to reflect and uphold a more equitable workplace. 
&nbsp;
Address Pay equity Conduct a pay equity audit to ensure that all employees are paid fairly for their work, regardless of gender, race, or other factors. Regularly review compensation practices and adjust as necessary to ensure that everyone is being paid fairly. This also requires being transparent on pay with your current employees and when hiring and attracting new employees to your business. More tips <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4-ways-incorporate-pay-equity-your-organization-robert-sheen/?trk=articles_directory">here.</a>
&nbsp;
Encourage &amp; listen to feedback through employee resource groups Encourage employees to provide feedback on their experiences in the workplace and listen to their concerns. Use this feedback to inform your equity strategies and make necessary changes to create a more inclusive work environment. This can be done through setting up an employee resource group, that can help foster a culture of connection and belonging. <a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/diversity/employee-resource-group-black-ethnic-minorities#gref">How to set up an ERG via CIPD</a><a href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/relations/diversity/employee-resource-group-black-ethnic-minorities#gref"> here.</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Provide mentorship and sponsorship programs Providing targeted support to underrepresented groups such as mentorship programs and leadership development programs can help to enable relationships with leaders and role models, and lead to exposure to new opportunities. Facilitating a good coaching and mentoring culture in your organisation can go hand in hand with your equity, diversity, and inclusion practices. <a href="https://www.togetherplatform.com/coaching-and-mentoring-report">More on why coaching &amp; mentoring can benefit you business</a>.
&nbsp;
Track progress over time The effort you put in now doesn&rsquo;t mean your equity and inclusion efforts will bring overnight success. A shift in culture will take time, so by setting benchmarks and tracking your progress accordingly you can see the impact your efforts are making over time. It can also give you a clear perspective on what&rsquo;s working, and not working, and what needs improvement going forward to a more equitable workplace.&nbsp;  
Adopting and embracing an equity-based approach in the workplace can help companies overcome systemic barriers and provide targeted support to help women succeed. By recognizing the unique needs and experiences of women and other marginalized groups, companies can create a more diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. It&rsquo;s a win-win for all, as by having a diverse group of employees not only brings a variety of unique experiences to your business but also outlooks that help them thrive at work and contribute to your company&rsquo;s growth.
&nbsp;
Sources:
International Womens Day: <a href="https://www.internationalwomensday.com/EquityEquality">https://www.internationalwomensday.com/EquityEquality</a>&nbsp;
Ceridian:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ceridian.com/uk/blog/support-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace#1beawarebias">https://www.ceridian.com/uk/blog/support-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace#1beawarebias</a>&nbsp;
Lever: <a href="https://www.lever.co/blog/designing-equitable-and-inclusive-hiring-practices/">https://www.lever.co/blog/designing-equitable-and-inclusive-hiring-practices/</a>&nbsp;

IWD 2023: Embracing Equity over Equality in the workplace.

Are you curious about how much professionals in the events and marketing industry are earning? Look no further, because we are excited to share our latest Events and Marketing Salary Guide!
Know your worth as a Marketing and Event professional
We have researched and compiled data from various sources to create a comprehensive guide that provides insight into the current salary trends in the events and marketing industry. Whether you're a recent graduate or an experienced professional, this guide can help you understand your worth and negotiate for a fair salary. The guide includes information on salaries for various positions across events and marketing, such as event coordination, marketing and social media managers, to sales and conference production. It also breaks down salaries by industry and level of experience, so you can see how your salary stacks up against others in the sector. In addition to salary information, the guide also includes tips on how to negotiate for a higher salary and how to advance your career in the industry. We understand that salary is just one factor when considering a job offer, so we've also included information on benefits and perks that are commonly offered in the events and marketing industry. We believe that sharing this information is important for both employers and employees in the events and marketing sector. Employers can use this guide to ensure they are offering competitive salaries and benefits, while employees can use it to advocate for fair compensation. Overall, our Events and Marketing Salary Guide is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the events and marketing industry. We encourage you to download a copy and share it with your colleagues and friends. Let's work together to ensure fair compensation for all professionals in the events and marketing industry!
Download your copy of our Events and Marketing Salary Guide 2023 <a href="https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/4V9F-C71/events-and-marketing-salary-guide-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here&nbsp;</a>

Know your worth as an Event and Marketing Professional - Download our latest salary guide

The technology sector in London continues to evolve, as a startup haven it consistently hits the top of the list in Europe as being the <a href="https://www.itpro.co.uk/business-strategy/34625/the-best-uk-cities-to-live-and-work-in">best city for tech startups.</a> with this demand and growth businesses rely heavily on their IT infrastructure, and the demand for skilled IT professionals has never been higher. To remain competitive, companies need to offer competitive salaries in this candidate-driven market to attract and retain top talent. This is where our latest technology infrastructure and IT support salary guide comes in. Our Infrastructure and IT Support salary guide provides insight into the current market trends and salary ranges for various IT positions in London. This information is crucial for both employers and employees to ensure fair compensation and job satisfaction.&nbsp; 
Rise in demand for skilled IT Support staff One of the key findings of our guide is that the demand for skilled IT professionals in the UK continues to grow. This includes roles such as Cloud Infrastructure Engineers, IT Systems Administrators, IT Helpdesk and 1st Line Support. As a result, salaries for these positions have seen an increase in recent years. A trend highlighted in our guide is the growing importance of cloud computing. As more companies migrate their operations to the cloud, the demand for skilled cloud architects and engineers has increased. These IT professionals can expect to earn between &pound;50,000 to &pound;100,000 per year in London, depending on their level of expertise and experience. This is up from an average of &pound;48,000 to &pound;90,000 per year just a few years ago.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
What's important to Infrastructure and IT Support Specialists?
This guide also covers a few of the top factors that are important to Infrastructure and IT Support Specialists&nbsp;when accepting a new role, these range from Competitive salary to clear career progression and secure employment.&nbsp;
Overall, our technology infrastructure and IT support UK salary guide provide invaluable information for both employers and employees. By staying up-to-date on the latest industry trends and salary ranges, companies can attract and retain top talent, while IT professionals can ensure they are being fairly compensated for their skills and expertise.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Download the Eligo Infrastructure and IT Support London Salary Guide&nbsp;<a href="https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/4V9F-C63/infrastructure-it-support-salary-guide-2023">Here</a>

Infrastructure and IT Support Salary Guide 2023  (London)

As the demand for SAP Specialists continues to grow in Italy, it is important to stay informed about the latest trends in SAP Specialist salaries. Our latest SAP Specialist Salary Guide for Italy provides valuable insights into the most recent salary data for SAP Specialists across the country.
About our Italian SAP specialist Salary Guide The salaries in this guide were collated utilising experience and knowledge of the Italian SAP technology market, alongside analysis of job vacancy postings between 2021 and 2022. It provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the SAP Specialist job market in Italy, including average salaries for SAP Specialists by experience level, location, and industry sector.
How much are SAP Specialists in Italy Earning? Overall, the SAP Specialist salary guide suggests that SAP Specialists in Italy are well-compensated for their skills and experience. The average salary for a junior SAP Specialist is around &euro;27,000 - &euro;30,000 per year, while mid-level SAP Specialists can expect to earn around &euro;30,000 - &euro;45,000 per year. Senior SAP Specialists with extensive experience can earn upwards of &euro;75,000 per year. Location plays a significant role in determining SAP Specialist salaries in Italy. Salaries tend to be higher in major cities such as Milan and Rome, where demand for SAP Specialists is especially high. However, even in smaller cities and towns, SAP Specialists can expect to earn competitive salaries. In terms of the industry sector, SAP Specialists in Italy are in high demand across a range of industries, including manufacturing, retail, and finance. Salaries are generally highest in the finance sector, where SAP Specialists earn up to &euro;75,000 per year. Overall, the SAP Specialist Salary Guide for Italy provides valuable information for anyone considering a career in SAP or looking to advance their existing SAP career. With competitive salaries and strong demand across a range of industries and locations, the SAP Specialist job market in Italy is an attractive option for those with the necessary skills and experience.
&nbsp;
Download the Eligo SAP Specialist Salary Guide <a href="https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/4V9F-C69/italy-sap-salary-guide-2023">here</a>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Italy SAP Specialist Salary Guide 2023

The UK technology, engineering and development industries have been growing at an incredible rate over the past decade, with new technologies and innovations being developed every day. With this growth, the demand for skilled professionals in these industries has also increased, leading to a rise in salaries for those working in these fields.
Our latest technology, engineering and development UK salary guide highlights the current salaries of professionals working in various roles across these industries. The report provides valuable insights into the salary ranges for different the various job titles, skill sets and experience levels across Development, Programming, IT infrastructure and Engineering. The guide also highlights the importance of skills and experience, with those possessing skills such as Web Development, DevOps, and Machine Learning to come out on top when it comes to the demand for tech roles.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Download the Eligo Technology, Engineering, Development Salary guide <a href="https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/4V9F-C34/technology-salary-guide-2023">here</a>&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Rise of AI
This prevalence and demand of emerging technology such as AI and machine learning stem from further adoption and investment, especially with the <a href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/insights/2023-spring-budget-impact-on-the-technology-sector/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spring Budget announcement</a> of a &pound;900m investment in AI for supercomputing, which will only lead to further demand for tech professionals with skills in these areas.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Salary ranges will vary according to technical skill, level and location.
 In terms of job titles, the report highlights that senior roles such as Head of Development and Senior Product Manager are among the highest paid, with salaries ranging from &pound;80,000 to &pound;100,000 per annum. However, even entry-level roles such as junior software developer and graduate engineer can earn a respectable salary, with starting salaries ranging from &pound;20,000 to &pound;30,000 per annum.
The guide also takes into account the various factors that can affect salaries, including location. For example, professionals working in London can expect to earn higher salaries than those working in other parts of the UK, with average salaries for software developers in London ranging from &pound;45,000 to &pound;70,000 per annum.
&nbsp;
What are technology specialists looking for?
When it comes to technology professionals looking for jobs, this guide also gives insight into global research that has found that more than ever they are open to new job opportunities. Primary motivators for finding a new role include finding better salary growth opportunities and more.&nbsp;
The aim of this technology, engineering and development UK salary guide is to provide valuable insights for professionals in these industries, helping them to understand the current market trends and make informed decisions about their careers. With salaries continuing to rise and demand for skilled professionals remaining high, now is an exciting time to be working in the dynamic and ever-evolving technology sector.
&nbsp;
Download the Eligo Technology, Engineering, Development Salary guide <a href="https://r1.dotdigital-pages.com/p/4V9F-C34/technology-salary-guide-2023">here</a>&nbsp;

Technology, Engineering, Development Salaries 2023

If you are a business that regularly hires contractors (off-payroll workers),&nbsp;or a contractor supplying services to clients in both the public and private sector through your PSC (i.e. your limited company). Then you might have heard about the upcoming changes to the IR35 regulation. These changes were supposed to take place last year, but due to the Covid19&nbsp;pandemic, IR35 off-payroll changes have been moved to this April 2021.&nbsp;
IR35 is a complicated piece of legislation for many contractors and businesses, with the government even being<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/04/08/ir35_westminster_hall_debate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;criticised on its clarity over IR35</a>&nbsp;and a recent blunder of&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.contractoruk.com/news/0014421hmrc_leaks_its_own_ir35_payroll_guidance_online_publishing_error.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">leaking its IR35 off-payroll guidance</a>&nbsp;in an online publishing error.
But stick with me! In this article, we'll help you get past the panic and noise and hopefully answer your questions about the changes to IR35 and what you need to know. From when the changes come into play, who's responsible for what, how to determine status and where you can get further information and advice.
Still with me?... ok let's go.
&nbsp;
What is IR35?
First introduced back in 2000, IR35 is a law designed to increase the collection of income tax from people who work through an 'intermediary' such as an umbrella or personal services company (PSC). (i.e. a limited company).
If you are a contractor supplying services to an organisation in the public or private sector through your own limited company (PSC) you should consider the upcoming changes to IR35.
&nbsp;
Okay, so what's changing?
In a nutshell,&nbsp;the new IR35 changes will be implemented in April 2021&nbsp;for private sector contractors, transferring the responsibility of assessing whether IR35&nbsp;will be applicable to any Assignment (or booking, for contractors in the Medical sector) from contractors to medium and large organisations.
This will apply to all payments made on or after the 6th of April 2021,&nbsp;regardless of when the work was carried&nbsp;(e.g. you are a nurse you will be paid x amount on 7th&nbsp;April for work carried on 30th&nbsp;March, IR35 will be applicable to that payment)
The 'end-client' (please note this wouldn&rsquo;t be your recruitment agency)&nbsp;will be responsible for determining the IR35 employment status of all their off-payroll workers' assignments,&nbsp;whilst the fee-payer (usually a recruitment agency) will be responsible for deducting the relevant tax and National Insurance contributions (NIC) at source.
Financial implications due to IR35 could be&nbsp;particularly significant for workers as it could reduce total net income by up to 25%, however,&nbsp;a lot of umbrella companies have introduced the &ldquo;salary sacrifice&rdquo; method that could decrease this gap by up to 20%.&nbsp;
Right, so how is contractor employment status determined?
End-clients are responsible for creating a 'Status Determination Statement' or &ldquo;SD&rdquo;/&rdquo;SDS&rdquo; for short, that states if a contractor's role is 'inside' or 'outside' IR35.
While making the determination, the Client should take a lot of details into consideration, such as but not limited to; the&nbsp;control exercised over the contractor, mutuality of obligation, right to substitution, and financial risk(s) involved to ensure the correct outcome of the SDS.
&nbsp;
So, what is my responsibility as a hiring business (end-client)?
As the hiring organisation, it is important that you provide the 'Status Determination Statement' which states whether you believe IR35 applies to the contractor's assignment to both&nbsp;the recruitment agency and the contractor, including all&nbsp;reasoning behind it.
Until this statement is provided you will be classed as the fee payer, making you IR35 liable and responsible for deducting the appropriate tax and NIC's from the contractor before paying this to HMRC.
&nbsp;
 As an end-client,&nbsp;how can I determine if IR35 applies to my organisation?
You would need to prepare for the changes if you are:
<ul>
<li>A medium or large-sized non-public sector organisation which engages contractors (off-payroll workers) who work through their own intermediary (i.e. limited company)</li>
<li class="ql-indent-1">If your organisation is a&nbsp;private&nbsp;entity, consider if the "small company exemption" applies to you.</li>
</ul>
Under section 382 of Companies Act 2006, a company qualifies as &ldquo;small&rdquo; if it is part of the private sector, and if two of the following three conditions are met for&nbsp;two consecutive financial years:
<ul>
<li>Annual turnover &ndash; not more than &pound;10.2 million</li>
<li>Balance sheet total &ndash; not more than &pound;5.1 million</li>
<li>Number of employees &ndash; not more than 50 employees</li>
</ul>
Where the small company exemption applies, the responsibility and liability for IR35 remain with the Contractor (as it is currently in the private sector), meaning it is business as usual, and no further changes will be needed.
<ul>
<li>A public authority &ndash; there are additional changes from April 2021</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
 ​These rules will not apply to small companies that meet two or more of the following conditions:
<ul>
<li>No more than 50 employees</li>
<li>Turnover no more than &pound;10.2 million</li>
<li>A balance sheet total of no more than &pound;5.1 million</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
 I'm a contractor, what should I do/expect?
<ul>
<li>The end-client must contact you in writing (it may be via email) about their decision whether your Assignment(s) after 6th&nbsp;April would fall inside or outside IR35, providing you with an SDS including all details around their decision.</li>
<li>Where your Assignment falls inside IR35 you would have to be put through an umbrella company, and for relevant Tax/NIC to be deducted at source.</li>
<li>Where your Assignment falls outside IR35 it would mean business as usual, and you could still be paid via your PSC (limited company).</li>
<li>It may be the case that you are engaged on Assignments that are inside IR35 and others that are outside IR35. That is not something to worry about, as each SDS&rsquo;s outcome is dependent on a lot of different factors that may be different for each end-Client.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
What happens if the contractor or fee-payer disagrees with an IR35 decision?
If any party, the contractor or fee-payer oppose the IR35 decision, the client has 45 days to respond and must provide reasoning for the decision made. If the end client fails to do this, the IR35 liability will transfer to them and they will then become the fee-payer.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
How do companies prepare for the IR35 reform?
<ol>
<li>Start by taking a look at your current workforce and identify individuals who are supplying their services through personal service companies, what are their roles?</li>
<li>Talk to your contractors to see if the off-payroll rules apply to their role.</li>
<li>Review payroll processes and how these could be applied for workers inside IR35</li>
</ol>
&nbsp;
 ​How do contractors prepare for the IR35 reform?
If you think you may be affected, you should seek a Status Determination Statement from your hiring company.&nbsp;(this would not be the recruitment agency, but the end-Client you supply services to)
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to be relied upon beyond general education for contractors and businesses to improve their understanding of IR35 legislation. We advise to seek professional expertise when assessing contracts or dealing with HRMC enquiries.
&nbsp;
Sources to find out more about IR35
Off-payroll working &ndash; (IR35)&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/ir35" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.gov.uk/topic/business-tax/ir35</a>
Preparing for the off-payroll rules (IR35 Reform)&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.qdoscontractor.com/docs/default-source/resources/white-paper_-preparing-for-ir35-reform-july-2019.pdf?sfvrsn=6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.qdoscontractor.com/docs/default-source/resources/white-paper_-preparing-for-ir35-reform-july-2019.pdf?sfvrsn=6</a>
Guidance for Contractors&nbsp;-&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.taylorhopkinson.com/ir35/#proposed-changes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.taylorhopkinson.com/ir35/#proposed-changes</a>
<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.contractorweekly.com/ir35/ir35-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.contractorweekly.com/ir35/ir35-guide/</a>
Prepare for changes to the off-payroll working rules -&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-for-changes-to-the-off-payroll-working-rules-ir35" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-for-changes-to-the-off-payroll-working-rules-ir35</a>
Factsheet for contractors-&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/857148/Contractor_factsheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/857148/Contractor_factsheet.pdf</a>
HMRC CEST tool -&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/check-employment-status-for-tax/disclaimer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/check-employment-status-for-tax/disclaimer</a>
&nbsp;

IR35 off-payroll changes and how it effects contractors and businesses.

As we cautiously make our way into this year, huddled behind our home desks clutching cups of coffee, we all have high hopes for change and progress in 2021.
If you are an employer looking to hire new talent this year or a candidate looking for a new job, then the most important changes you&rsquo;ll want to be aware of are the ones to immigration and employment laws in 2021, post-Brexit.
Our departure from the EU has been a long time coming, but even despite being overshadowed by a pandemic, and like it or not, since the 31st of January 2020 the UK has been separated from the EU.
You may or may not have been aware of the alterations surrounding immigration and Brexit, so we have put together some of the key changes to immigration and employment law and how they will impact employment and working across the UK, EU or overseas.
&nbsp;
<h4>Right-to-work compliance</h4>
When it comes to employing or hiring talent from outside of the UK there are two questions to ask.
Do prospective or current employees have the right to work in the UK?
And if not, can they secure that right?
To establish this, you need to first assess and then record the right to work. This is important, as any employers who do not conduct a right-to-work check could be exposed to a penalty of up to &pound;20,000.
The CIPD has&nbsp;put together a handy flowchart to establish the right to work, below - view in full&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(216, 2, 115);" href="https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/employing-migrant-workforce-guide-flowchart_tcm18-88672.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here&nbsp;</a>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://oliver-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbs/500x500/bb62ac3a-8f80-4622-a328-5dbc1ebab031.png">
&nbsp;
<h4>Performing the right-to-work check</h4>
New employees must have their right to work status checked before their first day of employment, or on the day that they start before any work is undertaken.
You must verify one or more of the original documents from the Home Office, but this can also be performed online in limited circumstances. Be sure to make and keep copies of these documents and record the date you made the check.
<img src="https://oliver-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbs/500x500/60e63cc3-0a64-475c-afbc-3dc6b434b603.jpeg" alt="right-to-work-check-list-employment-law-2021">
&nbsp;
<h4>Who has the right to work?</h4>
British and Irish Citizens, EU settled status, Non-EU visa holders, Non-EU settled status, Commonwealth citizens with a Right of Abode in the UK. (valid passport).
&nbsp;
<h5>Gaining the right to work</h5>
If after completing all the relevant checks, it is found the employees do not have the right to work, there are a few things that can be done.
Apply for settled status:&nbsp;Employees from the EU, EEA and Switzerland who arrived in the UK before 31 December 2020, have until 30 June 2021 to apply for settled status. (see the section on non-EU nationals below for further information)
Get a sponsor Licence:&nbsp;you&rsquo;ll need a<a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(216, 2, 115);" href="https://www.stephens-scown.co.uk/immigration/skilled-worker-sponsor-licence-employers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&nbsp;sponsor licence</a>&nbsp;to be employed if you are from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein coming to the UK to work from 1 January 2021.
For those from the EU who do not have a settled status or sponsorship licence from their employer, they will be referred to a new points-based immigration system. Which now operates as the legal framework for how EU and other overseas nationals may come to live and or work in the UK.
Find out more about the&nbsp;points-based immigration system&nbsp;<a style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(216, 2, 115);" href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-immigration-system-what-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.
<img src="https://oliver-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbs/500x500/764bea99-1c0c-40da-b009-ae0a9659a8dc.jpeg" alt="gaining-the-right-to-work-employment-law-2021">
<h4>&nbsp;</h4>
<h4>&nbsp;</h4>
<h4>Skilled worker route</h4>
As well as introducing the new points-based immigration scheme, the government has also announced a new &ldquo;skilled worker&rdquo; route for non-EU-nationals, that will replace the Tier 2 route.
The idea is that this new route will enhance UK employers ability to recruit skilled talent and comes with advantages such as no annual cap on the number of work visas and the resident labour market test will be removed.
The threshold on skills will also be lowered from RQF 6 (degree level) to RQF 3 (A-Level) and other tradeable skills will be introduced to compensate for low salaries, such as a PhD in a relevant field or a shortage occupation job.
<img src="https://oliver-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbs/500x500/2101df70-adb0-4444-a8a4-53b9e4122e93.jpeg" alt="skilled-worker-route-employment-law-2021">
&nbsp;
<h4>Preferential treatment for EU nationals</h4>
The changes to the immigration rules are designed to apply to all non-UK nationals based on skills they bring to the UK workforce, however, there still will be some preferential treatment for EU nationals too.
These include no requirement to attend an overseas visa application appointment but instead, EU nationals can use an app to enrol digitally from their smartphones and won't need to supply their fingerprints.
This also means that EU nationals will not be affected by the closure of visa application centres due to covid19, and all that apply under the new immigration rules will receive a digital immigration status that can be accessed securely online.
<img src="https://oliver-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbs/500x500/5fea1a5c-3016-41d6-93a9-3b9dacd6778e.jpeg" alt="eu-nationals-right-to-work-uk-employment-law-changes-2021">
&nbsp;
<h4>Recruiting EEA nationals</h4>
EEA nationals will have now lost their automatic right to live and work in the UK unless they have applied for either Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status, which can be done before the 30th of June 2021.
What is the difference between&nbsp;Settled&nbsp;and&nbsp;Pre-Settled&nbsp;status?
Settled status&nbsp;is a permanent residency for those who have lived in the UK for a continuous 5-year period.
Pre-settled status&nbsp;is a temporary status for those who have been living in the UK for less than 5 years. After 5 years&rsquo; time, you can then apply for settled status (&lsquo;continuous residence&rsquo;).
View more information on&nbsp;settled&nbsp;and&nbsp;pre-settled&nbsp;status&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/what-settled-and-presettled-status-means" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.&nbsp;
Either of these living and working statuses will give the employee the right to continue to live and work in the UK, and successful applicants will be given a code to share with their employer, that will prove their right to work within the UK.
Like EU nationals, EEA nationals can also be sponsored by their UK employer under the new points-based immigration system.
If you are looking to go down the sponsor route, keep in mind that this is not a quick process and licence applications can take between 3-6 weeks, so be sure the licence is in place in good time.
<img src="https://oliver-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbs/500x500/f163e964-6540-474e-9171-d7803636b4d5.jpeg" alt="pre-settled-settled-status-employment-law-2021">
&nbsp;
<h4>Changes to IR35 off-payroll</h4>
If you are a business that regularly hires contractors, or a contractor working for companies in the private sector then you might have heard about the upcoming changes to the IR35 regulation. These changes were supposed to take place last year, but due to the Covid19 pandemic, IR35 off-payroll changes have been moved to this&nbsp;April 2021.
First introduced back in 2000, IR35 is a law designed to increase the collection of income tax from people who work through an 'intermediary' such as an umbrella or personal services company.
In a nutshell,&nbsp;the new IR35 changes will be implemented in April 2021&nbsp;for private sector contractors, transferring the responsibility of assessing IR35 from contractors to large and medium companies. This will apply to all payments made on or after the&nbsp;6th of April 2021.
For further information on the changes to IR35 and how this affects you and your contractors view our article&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/insights/ir35-off-payroll-changes-and-how-it-effects-contractors-and-businesses-/businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
<img src="https://oliver-dev.s3.amazonaws.com/thumbs/500x500/22999fdd-e7bd-48e6-af9e-91eb88105dcb.jpeg" alt="ir35-off-payroll-changes-private-sector-2021">
Please note this article is for education and awareness of the changes to immigration and employment law only and should not be classed as official legal advice. We advise to seek professional expertise and consult the relevant government advice when assessing the right to work and how employment law and immigration changes will affect you.
&nbsp;
Sources and further advice:
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/emp-law/recruitment/post-brexit-immigration
https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/employing-migrant-workforce-guide2_tcm18-88670.pdf
https://www.twobirds.com/en/news/articles/2020/uk/new-immigration-rules-2021
https://www.mondaq.com/uk/employee-rights-labour-relations/1017558/getting-ready-for-employment-law-reform-in-2021-10-things-employers-really-need-to-know
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-immigration-system-what-you-need-to-know
https://www.stephens-scown.co.uk/immigration/skilled-worker-sponsor-licence-employers/

What are the key changes to immigration and employment laws in 2021?

As technology evolves at such a rapid pace, so do technology-based careers that surround it. As such, the IT professional of the 21st century is constantly learning and adding to their technical skill set to keep up with the ever-changing digital landscape.
According to the latest&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="http://learning.linkedin.com/blog/top-skills/the-skills-companies-need-most-in-2019--and-how-to-learn-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn data</a>,&nbsp;there are at least 50,000 professional skills in the world!
Out of these, there are 8 trending technology skill areas that companies are looking for when hiring IT professionals this year.
&nbsp;
<h4>Cloud computing</h4>
With cloud computing now a mainstream service, adoption of cloud computing continues to grow as more businesses choose to migrate to a cloud solution. As such, companies are urgently searching for engineers to accommodate the demand in cloud computing usage. Skills needed for this range from database skills, programming, AWS, Linux and DevOps to quality assurance and information security.
&nbsp;
<h4>Artificial Intelligence&nbsp;</h4>
The age of AI is now upon us and it&rsquo;s no surprise that Artificial Intelligence skills are in demand from a wide range of businesses. IT professionals skilled in AI are required to further build computer systems to mimic human intelligence and behaviour from speech and pattern recognition to decision making.
&nbsp;
<h4>Natural Language Processing</h4>
AI has a huge impact on our daily lives, from how we work to how we order a takeaway and drive a car. With this comes the need for engineers and artificial intelligence specialists to develop algorithms and the complex technology behind gadgets such as Alexa and Google Home.
&nbsp;
<h4>Scientific computing</h4>
With all this data gathered from automation and AI there are certain skills required to solve the problems that arise with mass data. Skills in scientific computing include being able to use programming skills such as Scala, Python and Matlab are in high demand from businesses to enable them to continue to further collect more data.
&nbsp;
<h4>Data Science</h4>
In order to make sense of these huge amounts of data engineers and analysts are required to get behind the science and analytics of the data. IT Professionals looking for a career in AI and data science are required to have technical skills in machine learning, statistics, data visualisation and communication, programming in R, Python or SQL.
&nbsp;
<h4>Game development</h4>
There&rsquo;s no denying the continued growth of the gaming industry with Fortnite creators Epic Games&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/jan/08/video-games-2019-preview-harry-potter-last-of-us-kingdom-hearts-streaming" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">earning &pound;78.5m</a>&nbsp;a week, companies in the industry will further compete to provide a better experience for digital users in 2019. Which means the demand of gaming developers who can develop compelling online games remains strong.
&nbsp;
<h4>Mobile Development</h4>
Skills in mobile application development have been in constant demand for many years now, as businesses continue to build and design mobile-first applications. Essential skills needed for a mobile developer include; programming knowledge in React Native and Android or iOS platforms, Agile Methodologies, User Interface and Architecture.
&nbsp;
<h4>Software testing</h4>
Testing is an essential role in the software industry, especially with newer software hitting the market at a rapid pace, meaning more software testers are required to ensure they work effectively. Skills required for a software tester include basic knowledge of Database and SQL, test management and scripting.
&nbsp;
With technology rapidly evolving these 8 technical skill sets offer a promising career path for now and the future. Many Businesses are suffering from a shortage of these and so now is the best time to learn one of these trending technology skills and land a new technology job for 2019.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;Eligo technology works with a wide range of clients offering technology positions across open source, mobile development, cybersecurity, data science, SAP and Apple Mac. Take a look at our latest technology jobs here or <a href="https://eligo.co.uk/contact-us">get in touch with us</a><a href="https://eligo.co.uk/contact-us">&nbsp;</a>or call 020 8944 4180.
&nbsp;
Source :&nbsp;htttp://learning.linkedin.com/blog/top-skills?the-skills-companies-need-most-in-2019&ndash;and-how-to-learn-them

Trending technology skills for 2019

Yesterday we were pleased to welcome Katherine Spice, IT Director at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cv-library.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);">CV-Library</a>&nbsp;who delivered a talk on the basics of development along with a brief introduction to Object-Oriented Programming.The tech talk was part of our ongoing training surrounding the technology sector, so consultants can get a better understanding of not only the market as a whole but more importantly the developers that we work with on a daily basis.Katherine has been IT Director at CV-Library since 2013 and a Perl developer since 2000 which meant she had great experience and knowledge to offer us as non-technical people! Katherine’s talk gave us a brief insight into programming and development by guiding us through the full (SDLC) software development lifecycle from planning, analysis and design through to testing and deployment.For non-techies like us, we first expected learning the basics of Object-Oriented programming and development to be a bit of a challenge, but Katherine made the topic thoroughly engaging. Especially when she applied the concept of OOP programming to the recruitment space, where were able to understand it more clearly!For a non-technical person working in tech I found Katherine’s talk to be interesting and engaging in the way that it was broken down into layman’s terms, so we could all understand and it would seem my colleagues agreed! …&nbsp; I found the talk insightful and very helpful, giving a deeper insight into the fundamentals of OO Programming and development, and each aspect of the&nbsp;software development life cycle. Katherine answered a lot of questions and it was a great evening!– Rick Deller, Head of Technology Division (London and West Midlands)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Being a newbie into the mysterious and ever-changing world of technology, I was so grateful to have Katherine come in and break it down into simple terms for us mere mortal recruiters.&nbsp;Katherine is incredibly engaging and her enthusiasm for all things tech naturally rubs off on you, you can’t help but get excited to start telling everyone of your new-found knowledge! I look forward to the next session, if she’ll have us! – Kerri Anne, Java Recruitment Consultant It was great having Katherine from CV Library in to give us an insight into her thoughts on OO programming and development and she is clearly very good at what she does. She helped us understand what a passion for engineering complex solutions looks like and was wonderfully engaging and easy to converse with – I would recommend we replicate this across other areas of her vast knowledge going forward.&nbsp;– David Bulmer, Tech Team Manager London&nbsp;Following the feedback from my fellow colleagues about the talk, there is no doubt that Katherine’s enthusiasm for programming and development is infectious, and we hope she joins us again for another session to share her wisdom and knowledge of all things tech!It’s an exciting time for Eligo Technology, do you want to be a part of it? We’re looking for IT delivery consultants &amp; 360 Consultants to join our team. For more information email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:hello@eligo.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: black;">hello@eligo.co.uk</a>Alternatively, if you’re a business who needs help finding the right role, we can help, feel free to contact us by email on&nbsp;<a href="mailto:Rick@eligo.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(237, 38, 140);">Rick@eligo.co.uk</a>&nbsp;or call&nbsp;0208 944 4180

CV-Library tech talk: An intro to OO Programming and development

Back in 2016, I discussed the differences between the roles of a data scientist and data engineer and their equal&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://eligo.co.uk/building-successful-data-team-data-scientist-engineer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">importance within a big data team.</a>&nbsp;Fast forward to 2017, and the predicted increased demand for big data professionals, data scientists and data engineers has led to a huge AI skills gap that causes a headache for businesses wanting to bring in specialists to take full advantage of AI&rsquo;s full capabilities.
What is causing the AI skills gap?
The rising tide of AI and automation has led to increased benefits for businesses as a result of being able to upgrade legacy systems and improve data analytics, which in turn leads to results such as improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, and increased business and product opportunities.
These benefits have led to&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="http://www.lumesselearning.com/digital-skills-gap/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">42% of businesses planning to increase spending on AI over the next five years</a>&nbsp;&ndash;with one in five already doing so&ndash; and more are bound to follow.&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.gartner.com/doc/3779963/survey-analysis-enterprises-dipping-toes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gartner</a>&nbsp;analysis has shown that whilst this might be the intention, enterprises are struggling to implement AI driven data strategies and solutions, and herein lies the problem:&nbsp;there is not enough AI and data talent to meet demand.
&nbsp;
 So, what needs to be done?
Education is an obvious first place to start when it comes to filling the AI skills gap. Research has found that too few are choosing to learn STEM from an early age and a&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-40322796" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">disappointing number of children</a>&nbsp;and in particular girls, are signing up for computer science courses.
This means the view of the STEM sector needs remodeling to appeal to young people and show them that a career in that industry is inclusive and exciting, and doesn&rsquo;t just require technical ability but also alternative skills of creativity, problem-solving, teamwork and analytical thinking.
The government is playing a part in offering a long-term solution to filling the AI skills gap and are attempting to get more people interested and invested in AI and machine learning with the introduction of the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/digital-strategy-to-make-britain-the-best-place-in-the-world-to-start-and-grow-a-digital-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">digital strategy</a>&nbsp;earlier this year, which has promised 4 million free digital skills training opportunities, partnering with businesses to do so.
&nbsp;
Nurturing talent
Technology businesses have a lot to offer when it comes to filling the AI skills gap, especially so when they are open-minded to upskilling and training data professionals. This means that as well as education, they can play a part by recruiting from the bottom up and sourcing the data talent that can be taught skills in AI and machine learning.
Hiring managers should be identifying other transferable skills such as creativity, problem solving and ethics. Having an understanding and knowledge of ethics deserves more recognition than it gets when it comes to AI and machine learning for the future; AI technologies face ethical dilemmas every day, from how to exclude racial and gender prejudices from automation, to how self-driving cars decide between the lives of passengers to those of pedestrians.
Many businesses willing to invest in skills and training will be thinking long term, nurturing and training their own and possibly new talent. This will be based on recruiting a very specific set of skills and education rather than experience which can make it difficult for SME&rsquo;s and start-ups to achieve the goals they need to recruit fast, and so find themselves selling hard, having to compete on salary and benefits whilst struggling to stretch spend on new hires.
When it comes to recruiting AI professionals, the lack of skilled candidates is making&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/client-advice-insights/5-steps-to-attracting-the-best-software-testers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candidate attraction</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/client-advice-insights/how-to-retain-your-tech-talent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retention</a>&nbsp;pivotal in the recruitment process. Competition for this shallow pool of candidates is fierce and candidates not only have a few opportunities to explore but also the equal amount of offers available to them that also include huge salary offerings. In such a candidate-driven market, it is hard for smaller businesses to compete in attracting AI talent.
I work with the talent and businesses on an in-depth level to really understand what they want and help match the right candidate to business based on what kind of challenge, product, innovation autonomy and opportunity (e.g Equity) that they would receive.
To learn more about candidate attraction we cover it extensively<a href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/client-advice-insights/5-steps-to-attracting-the-best-software-testers/">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/client-advice-insights/5-steps-to-attracting-the-best-software-testers/">here</a>, or please do get in touch to find out how&nbsp;Eligo can help you with your Data requirement and or recruitment strategy!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The Age of Automation: Mind the AI Skills Gap

There are a number of reasons a developer may choose to learn a new tool, technology stack or programming language, be it pure curiosity, wanting to add to their skill set or interest in popular languages and tools they have read about online.<a href="https://www.packtpub.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">Packt</a>’s latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.packtpub.com/skill-up-2017" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">SkillUp 2017 Survey,</a>&nbsp;which is based on 4,731 respondents from 43 countries, has revealed the top tools and languages developers are currently using, and more importantly the new tools and technologies they want to learn this year.In it, it’s been revealed that a developer’s number one reason for learning a new tool, technology or language is because of a particular problem that needs fixing which they don’t know how to, or knowledge of the right tool or technology to do so.We’ve taken a further look at the results from the survey, listing some of them, including the 5 top developer tools and languages that have made the popularity list below.<h4>Top 5&nbsp;developer tools and languages;</h4>&nbsp;<h4>Python</h4>Python sits comfortably at the top spot of popular technologies used and remains consistently popular across job roles. The key to its success lies in its accessibility and flexibility and the fact that you don’t need to be an expert in programming to learn it, but, you do need to be keen on problem-solving.&nbsp;<h4>Git</h4>Git’s popularity lies in its branching capabilities, as unlike other centralised version control systems, Git branches are cheap and easy to merge. The feature branch workflow is popular with many Git users as it provides an isolated environment for every change to your codebase.&nbsp;<h4>Visual Studio</h4>This year Microsoft released a simpler and nimbler integrated development environment in the form of Visual Studio 2017. It has proved to be a popular tool, working faster and supporting more programming languages and platforms out there.&nbsp;<h4>Eclipse</h4>Eclipse is a Java-based tool that allows developers to create a customised development environment from plug-in components. As an open source platform, Eclipse allows IT departments to mix and match development tools rather than committing to a single suite of development products. Written in Java it also supports plug-ins that let software professionals develop and test code in other languages.&nbsp;<h4>Java</h4>Java is a popular programming language for developing enterprise applications. This is because java applications that are compiled into bytecode can run on any Java virtual machine regardless of the computer architecture, making it a piece of cake in enterprise environments. Java’s other key attribute is its ability to run on everything from laptops and data centre servers to game consoles, IoT devices and super computers.&nbsp;Perhaps you’re looking to learn a new tool or language that you’ve heard about for a while or only recently discovered, or maybe you and have a problem that needs fixing and need to get up to speed with the right tool or technology for the job. It can be difficult to decide on which to add to your arsenal next.While you weigh up options best for you, we run through the&nbsp;5 top developer tools and languages&nbsp;that according to Packt’s SKillUp survey,&nbsp;tech professionals are looking to learn this year;&nbsp;<h4>Docker</h4>According to the survey results, Docker is having a big impact on the tech landscape as the tool holds a significant position when it comes to being used and learned across a number of job positions. This is due to its easy deployment of any application as a lightweight, portable and self-sufficient open source tool that can virtually run anywhere. Docker is also a great tool to learn if you are looking to eliminate environment inconsistencies, this is because Docker containers are responsible for the actual running of the applications and include the operating system, user-files and metadata.&nbsp;<h4>Python</h4>It doesn’t come as a surprise that Python tops the bill for most top programming language being used currently. In a modern world where automation and speed are becoming essential to tech professionals and their organisations, Python with its powerful scripting is a very valuable language to learn this year.<h4> </h4><h4>Angular JS</h4>This JavaScript framework is used for rich, single page applications that helps to easily implement MVC design pattern, which is a great help no matter what stage of your developer journey you are on. AngularJS can also be very useful for developing applications where the user has multiple interactions on a single page view and makes it easier for developers to create interactive dashboards and apps with great interactive features.<h4> </h4><h4>Visual Studio</h4>Visual Studio is another one that tops the list of current popular tools and a top technology to learn this year. As an integrated development environment (IDE) Visual Studio can also offer developers debugging support, intelligence, refactoring tools and more. It’s also a great tool for developers to have in their arsenal as it gives you more tools to help you through mundane tasks and increases productivity.<h4> </h4><h4>Jenkins&nbsp;</h4>As an open source continuous integration tool written in Java, Jenkins is great for testing and reporting on isolated changes on big code bases in real time. It’s a great tool to know as it can help you solve defects in a code base rapidly and to automate testing of your build.They say, no developer is an island, and in order to help you succeed in learning these 5 top developer tools and languages you can easily reach out to tech professionals who are willing to share their experience and knowledge.The tech community has a vast group of developers and tech professionals that are passionate about their tool and technology stack and with some of the most popular tools and programming languages you can easily find sample code, examples, tutorials and more so you can find out more to help you in your learning process.What’s your opinion on these 5 top developer tools and technologies? Are they on your popularity list? We’d love to know!&nbsp;Sources–<a href="https://www.packtpub.com/skill-up-2017" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">https://www.packtpub.com/skill-up-2017&nbsp;</a>–<a href="https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/why-git#git-for-developers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/why-git#git-for-developers</a>–<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/3175677/application-development/review-visual-studio-2017-is-the-best-ever.html#tk.drr_mlt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">http://www.infoworld.com/article/3175677/application-development/review-visual-studio-2017-is-the-best-ever.html#tk.drr_mlt</a>–<a href="http://searchmicroservices.techtarget.com/definition/Eclipse" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">http://searchmicroservices.techtarget.com/definition/Eclipse</a>–<a href="https://help.eclipse.org/neon/index.jsp?topic=%2Forg.eclipse.platform.doc.isv%2Fguide%2Fint_eclipse.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">https://help.eclipse.org/neon/index.jsp?topic=%2Forg.eclipse.platform.doc.isv%2Fguide%2Fint_eclipse.htm</a>–<a href="http://www.theserverside.com/feature/Why-Java-is-the-most-popular-programming-language" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">http://www.theserverside.com/feature/Why-Java-is-the-most-popular-programming-language</a>–<a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-should-a-developer-learn-Docker" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">https://www.quora.com/Why-should-a-developer-learn-Docker</a>–<a href="http://www.skilledup.com/articles/5-reasons-learn-angular-js-today" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">http://www.skilledup.com/articles/5-reasons-learn-angular-js-today</a>–<a href="https://www.quora.com/Is-AngularJS-worth-learning" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">https://www.quora.com/Is-AngularJS-worth-learning</a><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/2nfaes/should_i_use_visual_studio_as_a_beginner/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">-https://www.reddit.com/r/learnprogramming/comments/2nfaes/should_i_use_visual_studio_as_a_beginner/</a>–<a href="http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/Jenkins" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;">http://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/Jenkins</a>

What tools and languages are developers learning this year?

As the UK&rsquo;s leading independent job site attracting over 3 million unique job seekers every month, CV-Library has a stellar development team that aids them in their continuing expansion. Eligo is proud to have worked with CV-Library for over 5 years now, providing them with Open Source Talent to build their team and develop a close relationship in the process. Because of CV-Library&rsquo;s continual growth, recruiting top talent for their team is an ongoing process and in order to secure open source candidates, we utilise our continual talent pipeline and extensive developer network. CV-Library recently had the need of a Mid-Level Perl Developer to add to their growing team and Eligo Technology were able to fulfil this need by taking into account the challenges they face when sourcing and recruiting top Perl developer talent.
<h4>Challenges</h4>
As CV-Library is based in Fleet, they find that their location is a continual problem and struggle to find top Perl developers located or willing to travel to the Hampshire area. Recruiting Top Perl Developer talent can be difficult as they are hard to find and are located primarily in the London area- which in turn offers higher salaries. &nbsp; Eligo's Approach
Having worked with CV-Library for many years now, we fully understand the needs, culture and values of the company. When recruiting top Perl developer talent that would be the right culture fit for CV-Library we actively source via our continual talent pipeline. This is achieved through several channels that we utilise; &nbsp;
<h4>Events and Networking : The Perl Community&nbsp;</h4>
We have actively forged lasting relationships and connections within the Perl Community, through attending and speaking at events such as The London Perl Workshop. Utilising the extensive Perl developer network and referrals within it, we can identify top Perl developer talent that would thrive within a company such as CV-Library. &nbsp;
<h4>Python Social Media and Direct Marketing</h4>
With our dedicated marketing team, we actively engage with potential candidates within the wide online community, whilst sharing advice, industry news and available positions. &nbsp;
<h4>Creative and Targeted Ads</h4>
Eligo Technology has substantial access to multiple generalist and specialist job advert and candidate search platforms. Whilst implementing advert writing techniques that bring in the right candidates that have relevant skills, experience and technical passion. &nbsp;
<h4>The Outcome and Beyond</h4>
Through our continual pipeline of talent, we actively sourced a successful candidate and placed a Perl Developer with CV-Library. When we first identified and screened the candidate&rsquo;s C.V it was clear that they were not the usual candidate that we would put forward. However, after speaking with the candidate, identifying their needs, skills and accomplishments to date, we identified that they would be successful in the role of Perl Developer at CV-Library and become a valuable addition to their team. In other instances, it may be the case that if the candidates C.V. did not fit the criteria, some companies will pass up on the opportunity to secure top developer talent. On this occasion, our relationship with the CV-Library meant that they trusted our judgement that the candidate was an ideal fit for their development team.
Throughout our talent pipeline process, we kept CV-Library up to date on new developer candidates that came through our various pipeline channels, whilst offering feedback to ensure the ideal candidate was found.
 Eligo has established a long lasting close relationship with CV-Library and as a result, we are their preferred recruitment partner, recruiting for 100% of their developer roles. With our finger on the pulse of the Per jobs market, and our continual pipeline of talent and engagement within the Perl community we are always able to offer ideal candidates to CV-Library. &nbsp; What do CV-Library think of our continual pipeline of talent and overall recruitment process? &ldquo;Eligo is an exclusive partner of CV-Library and helps to support us with our technical recruitment, particularly with the harder to fill, senior roles. Rick has really taken the time to get to understand our team and the needs of the business, and as a result is able to provide us with truly exceptional candidates. We&rsquo;ve seen really positive results using Eligo and would definitely recommend its services to others.&rdquo; &nbsp; &nbsp; At Eligo Technology we are passionate about recruiting top Perl developer talent, from forging lasting relationships with the Perl community to attending and exhibiting at Perl events. If you would like help finding the right role for your business and discuss your Open Source Recruitment needs, please don&rsquo;t hesitate to contact us. Alternatively, if you are looking for your next developer job opportunity, or want advice on the Perl jobs market contact us on; rick@eligo.co.uk | 0208 944 4187&nbsp;

Case Study: Providing a continual talent pipeline for CV-Library 

Following 24 years as a successful enterprise resource planning software SAP R/3 is being succeeded by possibly SAP’s biggest-ever innovation, S/4 HANA. S/4 HANA is an entirely new generation SAP Business Suite brought in to offer simplified solutions to customers in a digitalised economy whilst breaking the limitations of past software. Its advanced design business suite is built on SAP’s fastest memory platform, HANA, and signals a move towards giving end users active decision support in real-time. The end result is a modern and simple yet powerful business model that facilitates businesses with this faster decision-making, efficient data modelling, and customer adoption strategy that combines the latest technologies and user experiences. <h5>Integrate and expand</h5>S/4 HANA will enable customers to leverage the cloud at their own pace based on their needs whilst keeping all the benefits and integrations of existing systems. It does this by enabling customers to build hybrid scenarios between various SAP cloud solutions such as Ariba, CEC, Concur, and SuccessFactors.Rather than replacing current portfolios of IT solutions, S/4 HANA allows businesses to further integrate and expand. In order to maximise ROI on SAP investments, keep afloat with the dynamic market, and utilise these features, customers are now looking to integrate S4/ HANA and upgrade their current systems. <h5>S/4 HANA’s impact on the SAP Job Market</h5>As a result of the need for customers to integrate and upgrade to S/4 HANA there is now a huge demand for SAP experts who are able to execute the successful and smooth transition from SAP R/3 to S/4 HANA for the customers. Whilst some companies are simply migrating, others, such as large enterprises are seeing the technical innovations of S/4 HANA as an opportunity to completely rebuild their ERP landscapes from the ground up.These implementations and projects mean that S/4 HANA will continue to impact on the SAP job market. As a consultant, it is now critical to ensure that you can learn and adapt to new solutions such as Simple Finance, Fiori, Ariba, and Big Data Hadoop, and are up to speed on new technologies.Despite S/4 HANA’s impact, this does not mean traditional SAP HANA and BW skills will not become obsolete. The SAP ecosystem will still require ABAP programming, and ABAP OO developers will continue to be in demand for their SAP business consulting skills, particularly as S/4 HANA systems are faster and cheaper to configure. Eligo SAP are SAP Career Specialists offering mentoring, training, sap jobs, and consultation. As experts in the market, we are able to provide mentoring to SAP consultants interested in the impact of S/4 HANA on the SAP Job Market, provide career opportunities matching you with companies looking for a consultant such as yourself, or further help redefine your SAP career roadmap. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us now at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:sap@eligo.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: transparent; color: rgb(229, 40, 125);">hello@eligo.co.uk</a>.

How will S/4 HANA impact the SAP Job Market?

Whilst the concept of Data may still seem relatively new, it is integrated into our everyday lives influencing how we eat, shop, date, exercise, drive, and work.&nbsp;Businesses across the world now utilise the vast amount of &ldquo;big data&rdquo; available daily for things such as trend analysis, information planning, customer intelligence and experience to name a few.
The importance of Data and Analytics is nothing new; however, it is becoming more and more important to businesses, with significant roles being created amongst the world&rsquo;s leading companies. To put data in perspective, one study quoted by&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/the-importance-of-big-data-analytics-in-business-1267606" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tech radar</a>&nbsp;estimated that &ldquo;by 2024, the world&rsquo;s enterprise servers will annually process the digital equivalent of a stack of books extending more than 4.37 light-years to Alpha Centauri, our closest&nbsp;neighbouring star system in the Milky Way Galaxy.&rdquo; That&rsquo;s no mean feat.
But the value of all this data is only as good as the way it is pulled apart, analysed, managed and held thereafter. In order to do this, companies will need some of the brightest minds to create a successful data team to make sure the data is collated, analysed, and stored accurately to add value to the business.
So, what goes into building a successful data team?
In the same way that you can&rsquo;t build a structurally sound house without any foundations or design plans already in place, you can&rsquo;t effectively utilise, manage and store data without a team of talented data scientists and data engineers.
In a nutshell data engineers are the implementers getting their hands dirty (so to speak) building the pipelines and data structures ready to store the analysed information. Scientists on the other hand are the researchers and analysts, who gather and analyse the information, pulling the data apart. Having the two working in tandem enables a team to produce the best results in the shortest time frames.
I have found that some businesses in order to save time and money often try to have one role without the other, or they try to get a 2in1. In order for data to be utilised effectively and to the fullest, a scientist can&rsquo;t work without an engineer and vice versa. They each rely on the other&rsquo;s role to get the job done to the upmost efficiency and to implement the most creative of ideas.
So how does the role of Data Scientist and Data Engineer differ?
Data engineers are skilled in data warehousing, data streaming and programming to name a few. They essentially prepare the &ldquo;big data&rdquo; infrastructure to be analysed by the data scientist. As software engineers, they are tasked with designing, building and integrating data from various sources with the overall aim of optimizing the performance of the company&rsquo;s big data system.
Like engineers, data scientists are expected to have strong skills in programming but their skills are purely analytical; turning raw data into insights. Their main function is to help businesses turn data into valuable insights whilst applying statistics, analytics and even machine learning to solve problems.
Big data requirement
From my experience, I have seen that some companies don&rsquo;t truly understand their big data requirements. They are unsure whether they need a scientist or an engineer and look for a candidate that can be both: A Data Science Engineer.&nbsp;So what&rsquo;s wrong with this job title? There are many crossovers within data science and data engineering, and for a team to work effectively there always needs to be collaboration between the roles, but one can&rsquo;t be the other.
While the scientist and engineer might both have a good understanding of each other&rsquo;s role, they both are passionate about separate things with different learning backgrounds. For example, data engineers often come from a software background, studying code and learning the fundamentals of warehousing data, whereas data analysts naturally progress to become a data scientist, learning the essentials of analysing and pulling apart data.
The Data Engineering talent shortage
There is a rising demand for data scientists with masses amounts of data being generated companies don&rsquo;t know what to do with it all or where to start. So they place an emphasis on research and insights and look to hire the people that can make sense of it all and give it purpose. However, without the work of a data engineer, the work of data scientists is 50% less effective. Ideally, data engineers should be brought in to the data team first-hand to maximize the data scientists scope of research and analysis.
The impact of this interest in the data science field also means that the pool of talented data engineers has dried out, with demand exceeding supply. This demand not only comes from the increase of the big data stack and the move of data from being a by-product to an integral part of a company but also the new jump towards machine learning. It is also mainly down to the major companies such as&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="https://www.stitchdata.com/resources/reports/the-state-of-data-engineering/?thanks=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Airbnb, Uber, and Spotify now building their own data products</a>&nbsp;increasing their demand for engineers to build and maintain their systems.
This data engineering talent shortage is self-perpetuating due to the lack of interest and support for the craft, therefore the lack in talented engineers comes full circle. In order to combat this, businesses need to place an emphasis on supporting the craft and talent out there.
Due to the ever-evolving nature of data, businesses are often very strict in what they are looking for in a data engineer. They want a candidate that ticks all the boxes but there is a chance that they will miss out on talented and experienced engineers that are missing a programming language from their C.V (which they would otherwise be willing to learn and increase their skill set to succeed within a company.
Some small businesses and start-ups can&rsquo;t afford the luxury of having both an engineer and a scientist and so try to look for a candidate that can do it all. However, there are companies out there that see the shortage in the market as an opportunity to hire and train engineers that are willing to learn new languages and even some analytical skills.
To build a successful data team that is valuable for their business not only do companies need to know the difference between a data scientist and a data engineer, they also need to understand how to get the best out of them. To lend a helping hand to the talent shortage, businesses need to be open-minded upskilling and training engineers. This requires bringing on a data engineer with potential and allowing time to train on certain elements that are needed for the role and to successfully build a data team.
Are you unsure about your big data requirement? Do you need help to build and structure a successful data team? Whether you&rsquo;re looking for a Data Engineer or a Data Scientist we can help. Contact me to discuss further on&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125);" href="mailto:johns@eligo.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">johns@eligo.co.uk</a>&nbsp;or call 020 8944 4197.
If you&rsquo;re a Data Engineer or Data Scientist looking for your next role contact me to talk about the roles we have available or visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://eligo.co.uk/jobs">jobs page.</a>
&nbsp;

Data Engineer vs Data Scientist: What goes into building a successful data team?

There has long been scepticism around the state of the Perl market, the ability for new jobs to be created, and when (if ever), someone would be writing its obituary.
Despite the recent Brexit vote, as we near towards the end of 2016, it&rsquo;s time to tell you not to panic. Save the in-memoriam notes because there are still Perl Jobs out there, the state of the Perl jobs market is still strong, and&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://eligo.co.uk/is-perl-dead-perl-recruiter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Perl is (still) not dead.</a>
&nbsp;
<h5>Not dead means not dead</h5>
Let&rsquo;s get the obvious question out of the way first; has or will Brexit affect the state of the Perl jobs market? Whilst the British public and the Government both still aren&rsquo;t quite sure what Brexit actually means, the effect on the Perl jobs market is looking a little rosier.
The initial shock hasn&rsquo;t seemed to have slowed down the hiring of any of the companies I work with although until Article 50 has been triggered and we know about the various intricacies of it all, there will continue to be uncertainty surrounding freedom of movement.
Whilst currently this isn&rsquo;t an issue, it is potentially going to become a larger one within the tech sector in the coming years, particularly with the movement of talent between Perl houses across Europe. In response to this, I recently set up a petition urging the government to&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/169043" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">allow freedom of movement to continue within the tech sector</a>!
<h5>&nbsp;</h5>
<h5>Is Perl still a viable language?</h5>
The popularity of Perl offers a big hand in terms of the success of its market, and looking back at the history of its popularity from 1996 to 2016 it has steadily moved down in the TIOBE index.&nbsp;
However, it has always remained in the top 10 of all programming languages and in the current&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="http://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TIOBE index November 2016</a>&nbsp;Perl is at position 10. So how can popularity be increased and in turn contribute to the growth of the Perl jobs market?
<h5>&nbsp;</h5>
<h5>The Community Effect</h5>
Responsibility for the longevity and growth of the Perl jobs market can lie in the hands of the Perl Development community itself. The more developers choose to learn Perl and continue to contribute towards the language development and buzz amongst the development community, the more likely it will be utilised and furthered in future projects, start-ups, and so on.
Having been welcomed into the Perl community many years ago and attended many more events since, it&rsquo;s clear to see that the Perl community is one of the languages biggest assets. It&rsquo;s often these events and the community where you are reminded about the continual resilience and progress Perl holds and the sheer love and passion it&rsquo;s users have for it.
&nbsp;
<h5>Perl Jobs: out there, but where?</h5>
So, are there still Perl Jobs out there? The short answer is yes. Despite Brexit, companies and even start-ups are still growing, and the role of the tech team is still seen as valuable for organisational success. Even with its dip in popularity over the years, start-ups are continuing to choose Perl, meaning there is still a guarantee of job security for skilled Perl developers.
All different types of businesses are hiring skilled Perl developers, from e-commerce and consultancy to payment companies. In terms of location, Perl jobs can also be found in cities with strong Perl houses such as London and European cities of Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Vienna and Stockholm to name a few.
With varying levels of Perl developer roles within different types of industries, salary will be very much dependent on location, experience and technical capability. If you&rsquo;re wondering what you could earn as a Perl developer, why not take a look at a quick&nbsp;<a href="https://email-eligo.co.uk/p/4V9F-HH/the-2018-perl-report">salary guide&nbsp;</a>we have put together.
&nbsp;
<h5>What are hiring managers looking for?</h5>
With all types of Perl jobs out there a developer with versatility is in high demand. Traditional skills such as knowing how to effectively use the Perl language, JavaScript and overall web development are key.
However, in the current Perl market hiring managers are looking for more, and there is a big emphasis on full-stack development and Angular. If you don&rsquo;t already know Angular, I would definitely take a look. Aside from the technical skills, when it comes to standing out from the rest in the Perl job market, companies are also looking based on personality and the candidate&rsquo;s passion for Perl. This ranges from key communication skills to getting on with the company&rsquo;s culture and being able to work effectively in a team.
&nbsp;
<h5>How do you stand out from the crowd?</h5>
To stand out in the current market you need to be more than just a great developer, and a great way to do this is by getting involved with the Perl community. This can be achieved in several ways, from attending Perl events and local Perl meet-ups to contributing online. There is a huge Perl presence online and one way to show your passion for all things Perl is through blogging, social media and contributing to Stack Overflow, CPAN modules and Github.
Tips on how to stand out as a developer <a href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/career-advice-insights/so-you-want-to-stand-out-as-a-developer-in-a-competitive-job-market-/">here.</a>
&nbsp;
<h5>What&rsquo;s next?</h5>
Despite the restrictions that may be coming with Brexit and the dip in popularity of the programming language over the years, the state of the Perl jobs market is strong. The market continues to grow at a natural rate and being in the top 10 popular programming languages of 2016 shows companies are still choosing the Perl platform over others.
For the Perl market to flourish and be a part of the future of programming it must connect with the next generation of developers and businesses. This can be achieved through the continued organisation and attendance of Perl community events, the increase of accessible learning materials as well as discussing and sharing knowledge to give Perl the credit and appreciation it deserves.
If you are looking for a new role in Perl development,&nbsp;check&nbsp;out the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://eligo.co.uk/jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">current Perl Jobs</a>&nbsp;we have available.
&nbsp;
If you are attending this year&rsquo;s&nbsp;London Perl Workshop&nbsp;on the 3rd&nbsp;of December I am happy to discuss more on the state of the Perl market, and how you can advance your career as a Perl developer.&nbsp;

The state of the Perl jobs market : are there still Perl jobs out there?

<h5>Have you ever thought about taking your Android skills to the Android contract jobs market or are you looking to grow within it?</h5>
Going contract can offer benefits from increased pay and flexible hours to being your own boss and having a greater sense of freedom.
If you&rsquo;re a full-time Android Developer who is new to the contract market, however, you may find it somewhat of an alien concept. As such we&rsquo;ve put together a brief guide to the Android contract jobs market to provide you with insight into where you can find android contract roles, the earning potential of android contract job opportunities, and what employers are looking for in a candidate.
&nbsp;
<h4>Where are the roles?</h4>
So you&rsquo;re looking to take a move into the Android contract jobs market but wondering what types of companies are looking and where they are?
There are two types of companies that usually hire contract Android Developers. These can be differentiated based on whether they&rsquo;re an &ldquo;agency&rdquo; or &ldquo;product&rdquo; company. Agencies are client-driven and cover strategies for marketing, advertising, and branding, whereas product companies look for Android Developers to build their apps in-house for commercial or functional purposes.
Android contract jobs can be found within businesses across the country and if you&rsquo;re looking for contract work outside of the UK, some of the best digital agencies in Europe also have a requirement for contract developers.
When it comes to product companies, you can expect to find Android Contract jobs in start-ups, eHealth, data science, mobile money, payment companies, and more. I have found that there is a really high demand from organisations that have no real IT presence but recognise that in today&rsquo;s world, they need an Android app to help them push forward as a successful businesses.
&nbsp;
<h4>Day Rate: What can you earn?</h4>
As with any contract job, the day rate in the Android market depends on the individual circumstances of the client, the skill level, and the experience of the contractor as well as the project at hand. I don&rsquo;t believe in blanket rates or &ldquo;rate cards&rdquo; across the industry.
That being said, you will find a variation in payment across the different types of companies that hire Android contract developers:
<ul>
<li>Financial services always tend to pay a premium for Android Developers.</li>
<li>Product companies will gauge pay on what they can effectively &lsquo;get&rsquo; for their money.</li>
<li>Digital Agencies' pay will be dependent on the budget given by their client.</li>
<li>Start-ups will often pay depending on the investment they&rsquo;ve got.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h4>What are employers and hiring managers looking for?</h4>
Hiring Managers are looking for contract developers with skills primarily in Android, as well as experience in being able to conquer the &lsquo;concept to delivery&rsquo; lifecycle and hold responsibility for the back &amp; front end of an Android app.
It&rsquo;s also beneficial to get exposure to other technologies, the app builds, and industries, and if you&rsquo;re an Android Developer with Full Stack skills under your belt, then you will have many more options when it comes to finding your next Android Contract job. Contract hiring managers also love Android Developers that do their own testing!
&nbsp;
<h4>So you want to get into the contract jobs market, but don&rsquo;t know how?</h4>
Finding contract jobs often requires a lot of leg work and many roles are required at short notice. To increase your chances of successfully finding a role that works for you it is beneficial to build connections and tailor your C.V towards the contract market.
If you need help getting started in the Android contract market, there are many&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://www.eligo.co.uk/career-advice-insights/5-reasons-to-use-a-recruiter-to-secure-your-next-developer-contract-role/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">benefits</a>&nbsp;of using a recruiter to find your next contract developer role, from getting you noticed to increasing your opportunities with market knowledge and contacts.
If you would like to talk about your Android Contract Developer career or the current contract developer roles we have available, then don&rsquo;t hesitate to get in touch with me on the usual;
<h4>&nbsp;</h4>
Eligo Technology offer a range of developer contract roles including those for: iOS Developer, Android Developer, Windows Phone Developer, Xamarin Developer, .NET Developer, Python Developer, Front End Developer, UX (designers), AEM (CQ5)Developer, JavaScript Developer (ReactJS), Gaming (Phaser), CMS (Magnolia, Sitecore), PHP Developer, Full Stack Developer, Java software engineers &amp; technical leads (including Scrum Masters).
<h4>Share blog</h4>
&nbsp;

Your guide to the Android Contract Jobs Market

Last week we attended the biggest Perl conference in Europe, YAPC::EU, where Perl developers from around the world descended on Cluj-Napoca, Romania for an exciting programme of talks, presentations, events, and drinks!
Held by the Perl Counts of Transylvania, the lovely Cluj Perl Mongers, the 3-day event featured a line-up of speakers including the father of Perl, Larry Wall, as a keynote speaker alongside Curtis Poe (<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="http://act.yapc.eu/ye2016/user/1427" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ovid</a>) and&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="http://act.yapc.eu/ye2016/user/6730" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SawyerX</a>.
&nbsp;
<h5>YAPC&rsquo;s Perl Counts of Transylvania</h5>
The city of Cluj is both a beautiful and perfect setting for such an event with its historic buildings, the excellent University where the conference was hosted, and a wide array of bars and restaurants for catching up after a long day of talks.
&nbsp;
Kicking off with a bang after the rooftop party hosted by Evozon the night before, the first day of YAPC::EU brought the news that next year&rsquo;s Perl conference would be held in Amsterdam! The day continued as it started with a wide array of talks covering everything from&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="http://act.yapc.eu/ye2016/user/5015" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Real-world parsing with Perl 6</a>&nbsp;to the always fun Lightning Talks hosted by&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="http://act.yapc.eu/ye2016/user/232" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rGeoffrey.</a>&nbsp;The fun had only just begun, however, with 2 more days to go and an amazing conference party hosted at the picturesque Banffy Palace in the evening.
&nbsp;
<h5>The Perl Community</h5>
Day two began with Sawyer X&rsquo;s keynote &ldquo;The State of the Velociraptor&rdquo;, which highlighted just how close-knit and international the Perl community really is (a point that was evident throughout our 3 days there) with Perl developers from around the world speaking about the community. The international feel continued with talks by Perl mongers who had travelled from locations as distant as Houston, USA.
<h5>&nbsp;</h5>
<h5>How&rsquo;s the Perl jobs market?</h5>
The final day included my own talk on the Perl jobs market.&nbsp;I&rsquo;d originally intended to present a talk titled &ldquo;It&rsquo;s all in the questions you ask&rdquo;, however, as some of you may know, I recently got engaged, meaning a different type of question left me with little time, so I decided to talk about what I know: Perl jobs.
&nbsp;
It was great to see so many Perl developers in the room for the talk and to share my knowledge with so many new and familiar faces. I have uploaded the&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://t.co/rNKNniQbkW" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slides of the talk here</a>&nbsp;and hope a video will be available shortly! If you have any more questions after attending, please don&rsquo;t hesitate to get in touch.
Now back in the office, it&rsquo;s been a pleasure to reflect on such a great couple of days with the Perl community in Cluj. We were proud to have been part of such an awesome event as main sponsors as well as sponsoring the food, and we plan to continue supporting the wonderful community for a long time.
As I stated in my talk, and as the conference has highlighted, there is a positive, feel-good mood in the Perl market. We&rsquo;re constantly taking on new Perl job roles with both new and existing Perl clients across the world, with many opportunities out there for Perl developers looking for a change.
If we didn&rsquo;t get a chance to catch up at YAPC::EU or you&rsquo;d like to discuss your Perl career or hiring requirements a bit further, please do let me know and I&rsquo;d be more than happy to have a chat.
&nbsp;
rick@eligo.co.uk&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="http://www.twitter.com/perlrick" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@perlrick</a>&nbsp;|

YAPC::EU in Cluj-Napoca – Yet another great Perl conference

Last month I spoke at this year&rsquo;s YAPC::EU, held in Cluj Napoca, on the subject of &ldquo;How&rsquo;s the Perl Jobs market?&rdquo; The topic of Perl Jobs and the Perl Jobs Market is one that is always on the minds of many people, particularly with recent events such as Brexit.
Those who attended&nbsp;YAPC::EU&nbsp;will have seen my brief overview of the Perl jobs market and how it&rsquo;s currently looking. For those that didn&rsquo;t attend&nbsp;YAPC::EU, or missed my talk you can watch a video of the talk below which answers a number of questions many Perl job seekers are asking;
Are there still Perl Jobs?
What form to they take?
Where in the world are they?
What&rsquo;s the money like?
How do we apply for the right role?
I also cover tailoring your C.V. to Perl jobs and what else can set you apart from the competition&hellip;
Whether you&rsquo;re a senior developer who has been working for 10-15 years or a Perl Developer in your spare time now looking to move into a commercial environment there is a Perl job out there for you.
&lt;iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZWLjWaFldUk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;
If you are hiring or looking for Perl Job roles, then please get in touch!
Call me on&nbsp;0208 944 4187&nbsp;or email&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="mailto:rick@eligo.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rick@eligo.co.uk</a>&nbsp;&ndash; you can also follow me on twitter for the latest roles in tech&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://twitter.com/PerlRick" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@PerlRick</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;Our Jobs range from Perl Developer, Senior Perl Developer and Lead Perl Developer, take a look <a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="https://eligo.co.uk/jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
We love to get out to events, whether it be attending, sponsoring, exhibiting, or speaking, we believe it&rsquo;s the best place to engage with the developer community and keep up with the market.&nbsp;You&rsquo;ve probably seen us and the infamous Eligo&nbsp;pink at previous events but if not, we&rsquo;d love to meet you at one of the next ones!
<h4>&nbsp;</h4>

RickTalks: YAPC::EU and the Perl Jobs Market (Video) 

Emerging technologies are changing the complete outlook of business models in 2016. Digitalisation is driving force behind transforming the way businesses operate and compete. It aims to make economies more efficient and contribute toward a better life. SAP has identified the essence of digital transformation and its significance in achieving success in a new economy.According to Bill McDermott – CEO, SAP can be at core of digital transformation [i]. Digital transformation [DT] is indeed bringing value to the enterprises and radically improving performance, however it is challenging the core competency of every organisation while opening new opportunities. Challenges:Intensification of digitalisation is creating a pressure within the companies to speed up their digital transformation. Companies are adopting to social media, redesigning their websites, creating range of mobile and cloud apps as an initiative towards digital transformation. This appears easy and exciting. But, is it working in reality? Successful digital transformation is not about implementing new technologies but about transforming the businesses to derive most value and benefits from the substantial investment on new technologies. Companies has to rethink business processes, delivery mechanisms, HR strategies and leadership to adapt to the new digital era.Leadership, digital proficiency, legacy systems, security concerns are the main challenges involved in Digital Transformation. These challenges are the key blocks in initiation, execution and governance of digital transformation. DT projects are complex in nature and must be driven from the top. Leaders must identify the digital proficiency at various levels within the user community because not every employee is easily going to adapt to change, some might resist it. Hence, it is important to empower employees in right direction by clearly communicating the benefits of DT and providing required training. Leaders must support the changes and ensure the transformation is a success. Legacy systems are less efficient and cannot be integrated easily with new technologies [ii]. Security challenges can be strategically managed by leaders by weighing trade-offs between functionality and security. Organisation must also have right digital assets in place to execute the transformation.&nbsp;DT will disrupt the old methodologies and the business processes. To avoid this disruption, SAP believes that businesses need to digitally transform immediately. SAP is coming up with new strategies and supporting their partners and customers to overcome these challenges for successful DT. SAP is continuously educating their partners to change their business model and delivery mechanism with reduce lead time in order to increase the ROI and run faster and simpler as per their mantra [iii]. SAP is even thinking of charging less for the certifications on new technologies where more consultants are required to do the job [iii]. SAP Opportunities:Businesses can capitalise on new opportunities by embracing DT with use of new SAP technologies like cloud, mobile, Big Data and Social Networks while optimising existing operations and increasing business performance [ii]. DT is creating significant competitive advantage for the enterprises by transforming customer experience, operational processes and business models. SAP applications is enabling the businesses to improve the customer experience by personalisation and customisation; to promote their brands more effectively through digital media; to enhance in-person sales conversations through digital interaction; to develop in-depth analytics reports; to make business process more efficient and scalable etc. Thus, SAP’s digital transformation is not only making business run simpler but also supporting them to expand and grow globally while maximising their ROI. In order to accelerate DT, SAP offers consideration around Experience, Agility, Industry differentiation and the network effect [ii].This is also a great opportunity for SAP Partners as DT is a need but it is important for them to realise the sensitivity around the price and lead time. Partners can increase their profitability through the volume [iii]. Thus, SAP seems to be focused on Digital Transformation in 2016 for facilitating the successful DT through its new technologies and strategies leaving no reasons for the businesses to wait to start their transformation journey. Wondering about Digital Transformation and the effect it’ll have on your business? Please do get in touch with us to find out more about the huge opportunity this brings, how we can help with change management, training your staff, and support you throughout your businesses transformation journey, with our Digital Transformation start up kit. Connect with us at sap@eligo.co.uk. References[i] Digan (2016) ‘SAP can be at core of digital transformation, cloud, IoT, says CEO McDermott’,&nbsp;ZDNet.[ii] SAP AG (2014)&nbsp;‘Conquering Disruption Through Digital Transformation’.[iii] McKenna (2015) ‘SAP executives on what digital transformation means for CIOs’, Computer Weekly.

SAP Outlook 2016: Digital Transformation

<h5>At Eligo we&rsquo;re proud of our understanding and involvement within the markets we work in, this is especially true within the Developer and Open Source Job market in which we work.</h5>
Whether it is attending developer workshops, hosting networking drinks, exhibiting, or sponsoring key open-source events so that they can go ahead, we&rsquo;ve done it all.
This knowledge and&nbsp;understanding of the market is so crucial&nbsp;within recruitment, even more so within the open source job market. For the clients, it means that we can understand their client brand, requirements, fit, and&nbsp;secure the best possible talent&nbsp;for them, whilst for candidates, it means we actually know what they&rsquo;re talking about when they talk Perl, Java, and .NET, and we know exactly where they would best apply these skills.
We continue to try to further this understanding and share our knowledge in turn.
&nbsp;
<h5>As such, this series of Rick Talks turns the tables!&nbsp;We&rsquo;ve had the talks come to Eligo.</h5>
We reached out to some of the clients and candidates that we work with to come in and give a series of talks to our recruitment team here at Eligo.
So far, we&rsquo;ve had talks including;
&nbsp;
<blockquote>&ldquo;The mind-set of a developer&rdquo; &ndash; Why developers do what they do and how they do it?</blockquote>
<blockquote>In order to successfully place open source job candidates it&rsquo;s crucial that we understand what they want from a job and why they do what they do. This talk proved extremely beneficial in gaining vital insight into the mind-set of a developer and will only further help us in ensuring that both candidates and clients are happy.</blockquote>
<blockquote>&ldquo;How a hiring manager decides on a technical candidate&rdquo;</blockquote>
<blockquote>Once we have found you, the perfect candidate for an open source job role, we need to ensure that the company is the right match for you and you are the right match for the company &ndash; it&rsquo;s how we make sure you&rsquo;ll be happy to wake up on Mondays, and the company will be happy to see you there! Part of this process is understanding how hiring managers think and what they are looking for in an open source job candidate.</blockquote>
We have further talks to come including workshops on&nbsp;Agile, one of our client&rsquo;s specific products and the infrastructure behind it, and plenty on&nbsp;Linux!
Each of these talks and workshops is being delivered by leading industry figures with our open-source recruitment team already reaping many benefits from them.
We are able to pass this knowledge on to our clients, with a particular understanding of open source developers and experience within the market, advising on topics such as how to interview well and sell an open job role to the candidate (remember hiring is a two-way process!). In the coming weeks, I will be visiting Foxtons to do just this, and give my very own Rick Talks on these subjects.
*Updated* Foxtons has now had its own very own Rick Talks &ndash; read some of their feedback below
<blockquote>&ldquo;In my capacity as the Recruitment Operations Director at Foxtons I have worked with Rick for three years. During this time and with Rick&rsquo;s help we have grown a number of our technology departments and we have found his advice and hard work invaluable. We work in a strong partnership with Rick and his team and they continue to deliver great candidates.</blockquote>
<blockquote>Recently I asked Rick if he could present to my internal recruitment team on engaging and hiring tech candidates.&nbsp;Rick came down and gave a very detailed, informative and engaging talk on this and we found it a vital help in our recruitment strategy and policy.</blockquote>
<blockquote>It&rsquo;s fantastic that Rick and his team can impart some of their specialist Recruitment knowledge within the technology area and we are looking forward to a long a prosperous partnership with Eligo Technology Recruitment&rdquo;</blockquote>
<blockquote class="ql-align-right">Jonathan Richards, Recruitment Operations Director at Foxtons</blockquote>
You want more Rick Talks I hear you say? Don&rsquo;t fret.&nbsp;Rick Talks will be back at&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(229, 40, 125); background-color: transparent;" href="http://act.yapc.eu/ye2015/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YAPC: Europe</a>&nbsp;where I will be doing various workshops on what a Recruiter looks for in an Open Source Developer, as well as job search advice, career advice, and much more. To find out more about this event and upcoming events I will be at, please don&rsquo;t hesitate to get in&nbsp;<a href="https://eligo.co.uk/contact-us">contact here</a><a href="https://eligo.co.uk/contact-us">,</a>&nbsp;through my&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(216, 0, 115); background-color: transparent;" href="https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rickdeller" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LinkedIn</a> or&nbsp;<a style="color: rgb(216, 0, 115); background-color: transparent;" href="mailto:rick@eligo.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">email</a>.
&nbsp;
At Eligo we are good at what we do because we love our market, we love the people we work with, and we love to continue to know more. As always, if you have any questions you would like to ask, or would like to come and share your insight into the open-source mind or market, please don&rsquo;t hesitate to get in touch!

Rick Talks: Understanding the Open Source Job Market

&nbsp;
Rapidly growing and winning major contracts with both public and private sector bodies across the UK and Europe, Clearview Communications are industry leaders in providing CCTV &amp; Access Integrated Security Systems.
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Their need
Working with organisations such as The British Library, Euro Tunnel, and the London Borough of Hackney, this client has been successful in being awarded one of their biggest contracts yet, enjoying substantial growth in the market. Recently winning one of their biggest contracts yet, they required a rapid recruitment drive, needing to fill a large number of engineer and project manager roles within a short space of time. Having tried to approach their need through the utilisation of internal and external resourcing, the client required a solution that would provide them with a large number of staff they required within an extremely limited timeframe, whilst not compromising on quality.
&nbsp;
Challenges
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Due to the nature of the project, the client required all candidates to be extensively security vetted, with confidentiality essential in the hiring process.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; They had specific and strategic needs for the candidates to be located or willing to relocate to within the M25 and surrounding areas.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In order to complete the fast-approaching contract, the positions needed to be filled within a minimal timeframe.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The company&rsquo;s mission is to support its partners for the long term and as such requires staff who will additionally grow with and support the company&rsquo;s mission.
&middot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A need to consistently bring in high-quality candidates in line with growth plans
&nbsp;
Our Approach
&nbsp;
Understanding client needs and challenges
It&rsquo;s important to us to fully understand the needs of the client, and the culture of the company, and gain a detailed understanding of the complexities of the role and their perfect candidate. Additionally, we continue to aid in the conquering of challenges faced by companies in their recruitment, utilising our specialist expertise to ensure the hiring process is completed in a smooth and easy manner whilst catering to each and every one of the client's needs. As such our first step was to meet in person and discuss these areas.
&nbsp;
Sourcing
We undertook the sourcing of suitable candidates through a number of channels.
&middot; &nbsp;&nbsp; Network and Database &ndash; We are proud to be leaders in the Fire &amp; Security recruitment field, gaining many lasting connections with professionals within the field and building an extensive database of both active and passive candidates. We were able to utilise this extensive network and referrals.
&middot; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Our Website - Our website brand provides a destination for advertisements as well as an area in which our Fire &amp; Security specialists post regular expert content for interested candidates.
&middot; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Web Presence - Additionally we are currently ranked on the first page of google for many variations of Fire &amp; Security Recruitment, priding ourselves as leaders and experts in the field.
&middot; &nbsp;&nbsp; Social + Digital Media &ndash; Eligo have a dedicated Marketing team who actively engages with both candidates and clients whilst sharing industry news, advice, and available positions. Eligo Fire &amp; Security director John Guest is also very influential within this space, amassing a large following on Twitter whilst also running a successful Fire &amp; Security group on Linkedin
&middot; &nbsp;&nbsp; Advertising &ndash; Our team have substantial access to multiple generalist and specialist job advertisement and candidate search platforms, supported by a significant budget. 
&nbsp;
Screening and suitability
After sourcing a number of promising candidates, we undertook initial phone screening and conducted peer referencing. We find this approach both extremely useful and successful, gaining testimonials from previous co-workers about how it was like to work with the candidate and the abilities displayed by them. Additionally we ensured each candidate was thoroughly vetted in order to meet the client&rsquo;s security needs.
&nbsp;
The Results
&nbsp;
Eligo Fire &amp; Security have established an excellent working relationship with the client, becoming their recruiter of choice and receiving multiple glowing testimonials. We have been able to develop a complete understanding of their culture, values, and needs. We were able to fill each of the clients vacancies in short time-frame, placing 11 candidates who have since become vital members of their company, 3 of which have subsequently been promoted.
Positions are filled within budget and within a rapidly reduced time frame, out-performing all company expectations and previous recruitment attempts, whilst consistently meeting their growth plans across the whole business.
&nbsp;

Market Insights