Labour Market Information

Understanding the World of Work

Labour Market Information - often called LMI - helps young people understand what is happening in the world of work.

It can help answer:

What jobs exist?
Which sectors employ people in my area?
Which industries are changing or growing?
What skills are employers looking for?
What qualifications might I need?
What might different jobs pay?

How we use LMI at Priestley Smith

Pupils are supported to use LMI as part of their careers learning. They explore questions including:

What jobs are available in Birmingham and the West Midlands?
Which jobs and sectors are in demand?
What might different occupations pay?
What skills do employers need?
What skills do I already have?
What skills might I need to develop?
How might changes in technology affect jobs?
What education or training might different occupations require?

Explore the labour market

Labour Market Information (LMI) helps pupils and their families understand the opportunities available locally, regionally and nationally.

The resources below can be used to explore different jobs and employment sectors, find out about the skills and qualifications employers are looking for, compare career pathways and investigate current apprenticeship opportunities.

Birmingham Labour Market Information.

Birmingham City Council – Economic and Labour Market Information

Birmingham City Council publishes local information about employment, unemployment, skills, qualifications, earnings, businesses and the city’s labour market.

This information can help pupils and families understand what is happening in Birmingham’s economy and how employment opportunities are changing.

Useful information includes:

employment in Birmingham;
average earnings;
qualifications and skills;
unemployment and economic activity;
employment by sector;
local economic profiles; and
Birmingham labour market updates.

Visit: Birmingham City Council – Economic Information and Statistics

This information is particularly useful when pupils are exploring questions such as:

What types of jobs are available in Birmingham?
Which sectors employ people locally?
What skills and qualifications might employers need?
How is Birmingham’s labour market changing?

West Midlands Labour Market Information

West Midlands Combined Authority – Employment and Skills

The West Midlands Combined Authority provides information about employment, skills and economic opportunities across the West Midlands.

Pupils, parents and carers can use regional information alongside Birmingham data to develop a broader understanding of employment opportunities across the area.

The information can help pupils explore:

employment and skills priorities across the West Midlands;
sectors and employment opportunities;
skills needed by employers;
barriers to employment;
education and training; and
how the regional labour market is changing.

Visit: West Midlands Combined Authority – Employment and Skills

When using regional LMI, we encourage pupils to think about how opportunities relate to their own strengths, interests, aspirations and support needs.

National Careers Information

National Careers Service

The National Careers Service provides free careers information, advice and guidance.

Pupils and families can use the website to:

explore different careers;
investigate different employment sectors;
consider their skills and interests;
find information about courses and training; and
access careers advice.

Visit: National Careers Service

The National Careers Service can be useful at different stages of a young person’s careers journey, from beginning to explore ideas through to researching particular occupations and future pathways.

Explore Job and Career Profiles

National Careers Service – Explore Careers

The Explore Careers section of the National Careers Service contains hundreds of job profiles.

Pupils can search by job title or explore careers by employment sector.

Individual career profiles can include information about:

what the job involves;
typical tasks;
routes into the career;
qualifications and skills;
salary information;
working environment; and
possible career progression.

Career sectors include areas such as:

Business and Administration
Care Services
Construction
Creative and Design
Digital
Education and Early Years
Engineering and Manufacturing
Health and Science
Legal, Finance and Accounting
Protective Services
Sales and Marketing
Transport and Logistics

We encourage pupils to explore a wide range of occupations rather than limiting their research to careers they already know about.

Apprenticeships

GOV.UK – Find an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships combine employment with training. Apprentices work, receive pay and complete training towards their apprenticeship.

The official GOV.UK Find an Apprenticeship service allows pupils and families to search current apprenticeship opportunities by job, employer and location.

Pupils can use the service to:

search current apprenticeship vacancies;
search by location;
investigate different occupations;
explore different employers; and
apply for suitable opportunities when they are ready.

Visit: GOV.UK – Find an Apprenticeship

Learn More About Apprenticeships - Apprenticeships.gov.uk

The government’s apprenticeship website provides information for young people who want to understand apprenticeships before deciding whether this pathway is right for them.

Information includes:

what an apprenticeship is;
different types of apprenticeship;
browsing apprenticeships by interests;
finding and applying for an apprenticeship;
preparing for applications and interviews;
apprentice pay;
what to expect during an apprenticeship; and
support available to apprentices, including support for people with a learning difficulty or disability.

Visit: Apprenticeships.gov.uk – Become an Apprentice

How We Use Labour Market Information at Priestley Smith

We do not expect pupils simply to read statistics or choose a career because a particular job is in demand.

Careers staff support pupils to understand and interpret Labour Market Information and relate it to their own circumstances.

We encourage pupils to ask:
What am I interested in?
What are my strengths and skills?
What jobs and sectors could I explore?
What opportunities are available in Birmingham and the West Midlands?
What qualifications or training might I need?
What skills are employers looking for?
What skills might I need to develop?
What support or reasonable adjustments might enable me to access this career?
How could assistive technology support me in this type of work?
What could my next step be?

Labour Market Information forms part of our wider careers programme and is used alongside personal careers guidance, employer encounters, workplace experiences, education and training provider encounters and Preparation for Adulthood.

Accessibility

We recognise that careers and labour market information needs to be accessible to our pupils.

Where required, pupils are supported to access, understand and interpret careers information in ways appropriate to their individual needs and vision impairment.

Staff can support pupils to explore information, compare options and consider accessibility, assistive technology and reasonable adjustments when investigating possible future pathways.

Keeping Our Information Current

Labour markets change over time. The school will therefore review the external careers and Labour Market Information resources on this page at least annually and update links or resources where necessary.

Last reviewed: September 2026
Next review: September 2027

Using LMI at home

Parents and carers can use LMI with their young person to discuss:

What interests you?
What opportunities are available?
What skills are needed?
What might you need to study?
What could your next step be?