Member Article

North West a fantastic option for Finance professionals

Ray Wareing, Group Director and financial recruitment specialist at Sellick Partnership, looks at why the North West is an excellent option for finance professionals, particularly with further investment in the region gathering momentum.

With spectacular scenery, unique attractions, exciting events and a thriving financial scene, the North West is a highly attractive option for young professionals.

Recent statistics show that the numbers of people aged 30-39 moving from London to other UK regions is the highest on record – in the year to June last year about 60,000 left the capital, many being graduates returning to the city where they received their tertiary education. This is great news for the North West, home to a number of quality universities including Lancaster, Manchester and Liverpool.

As a specialist recruiter for legal and finance recruitment, Sellick Partnership has seen a marked increase in the talent pool for young financial professionals, with many moving to the North West from elsewhere in the UK.

The North West is the UK’s third most populated region, and accounts for 7% of all financial services output in the UK, and 10% of all employment. Over the last few years we’ve seen a significant increase in higher-skilled jobs being created in cities outside the capital, which has seen a rise in demand for talented professionals from outside the region moving to the North West to fill them.

Manchester is England’s ‘second city’ for Financial & Professional Services (FPS), with 250,000 people employed across a range of activities including banking, insurance, accounting and legal services. There are over 60 banks in the city, with the ‘Big 4’ having operations in Greater Manchester.

Future investment in the North is gathering momentum, with Chancellor George Osborne recently announcing plans, as part of the “Northern Powerhouse” initiative, to give northern cities greater powers over transport, planning, housing and policing in exchange for accepting elected mayors, with a view to closing the North-South economic gap. A minister has been appointed to drive the Northern Powerhouse plan, James Wharton, indicating that it will be a key item on the agenda for the Tories off the back of their election victory.

There are a huge number of reasons why I enjoy living in the North West - bounded by the Peak District and the Pennines, it offers great opportunities for those wanting to achieve better work/life balance whilst enjoying affordable house prices. While North West cities are already well connected to the rest of the UK - with airports serving over 270 worldwide destinations, fast rail links across the UK and extensive motorways, the focus on improving transport via the Northern Powerhouse initiative is only set to improve connections even further.

For cultural enthusiasts, the North West has fantastic theatres, libraries and museums, and there are plenty of local sports and social clubs across the region. Liverpool received the title of ‘European Capital of Culture’ in 2008, earning the city record visitor numbers and a huge boost to its economy. Just this year Manchester was named on the New York Times list of ‘places to visit in 2015’ – the only British city to have been included.

With so many compelling reasons for professionals to live and work in the North West, the future for the region looks bright. I’m looking forward to seeing the impact that the Northern Powerhouse initiative has in the coming year - no doubt though, the North West will continue to be an attractive option for young professionals looking to enjoy a more affordable quality of life, whilst enjoying exciting career opportunities.

ABOUT SELLICK PARTNERSHIP

Established in 2002, Sellick Partnership provides financial and legal recruitment solutions within the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. We specialise in placing professionals into a variety of positions on a temporary, interim, contract and permanent basis.

With a head office in Manchester, Sellick Partnership employs over 60 people across its network of offices in the East Midlands, Liverpool, Leeds, Midlands and Newcastle and London. Sellick Partnership is able to provide commentary on remuneration, employment trends, legislation and career advice.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sellick Partnership .