Shared Vision: Training & Career Development in Oxford
The Current Job Market and Employment Opportunities in Oxford
Throughout the years, the city of Oxford has been a centre for English history, culture, and literature. Since the medieval era, the local university has been considered a leading centre for academic excellence, and it is estimated that today, the University of Oxford provides 18,000 jobs, whether directly or indirectly. Publishing and printing are other traditional sources of employment in Oxford. These industries were established in the city in the beginning of the 20th century, and they continue to be important in the local job market, as renowned publishing houses like Oxford University Press, Isis, and Wiley Blackwell Publishing have their headquarters in Oxford.
According to the local city council, the service sector employs 89 per cent of the local workforce. In total, there are 3,500 business providing over 120,000 jobs in Oxford. In addition to publishing, some important sources of employment include car manufacturing, research and development, education, technology, and the brewery industry. The largest employers are Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, BMW, Harley Davidson, Harwell, Morrells, Prolinx, and Blazepoint.
Other sources of employment are building and construction, public works, manufacturing of medical instruments and equipment, advertising, communication, and retail. The tourism industry contributes with over £770 million to the local economy, as Oxford is the United Kingdom's sixth most visited city.
Professional career development in Oxford
Students who want to follow a career in business or other related fields can choose from a range of Oxford-bases courses that enjoy international prestige. The Said Business School is based at the University of Oxford and offers degree programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level in subject areas like economics, management, and finance. There is also a range of diplomas available in subjects including financial strategy, global business, strategy and innovation, and organisational leadership.
Other business training providers include:
- the Oxford Media and Business School, that offers diplomas in business skills, information technology, business communication, and management information systems
- the Oxford Business College, offering full and part time courses in business management, strategic management and leadership, and management studies, and
- Oxford Brookes University, which runs degree programmes in the main business disciplines, as well as an MBA programme in its academic and executive variants
Through its Business School, the University of Oxford can also help local businesses and organisations improve their business practices, thanks to its executive education programmes. These include advanced training in leadership (strategic, high performance, and organisation leadership), general management (global entrepreneurship, advanced management, and a management acceleration programme), and finance (financial strategy, global investment, and risk management). The school also offers customised training programmes in the form of workshops, experiential learning events, conferences, and in-company courses. These programmes have recently received an EFMD excellence award. Other corporate training courses are available from the Oxford Business College, that runs tailor-made training packages in marketing, corporate finance, economics, and leadership.
Anyone interested in networking and making contact with potential business partners can benefit from the multiple business networking events held at Oxford. The Oxford Business Network runs breakfast meetings, golf days out, and visits to local businesses on a regular basis. Other networking events are organised by Business Networking Oxford, the Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network, the Late Breakfast Business Networking Club, the Athena Network for Businesswomen, and BNI Oxford.
Lastly, if you are interested in executive coaching, business development, or workplace skills training, you may contact the Oxford Group, Insight Oxford, the Oxford Learning Institute or the Said Business School, both based at the University of Oxford.
You'll find more information about business training companies and services on Actual Oxford.
Further Considerations: Many companies require, or at least prefer, that perspective employees have a valid drivers license. Being able to drive broadens your range of opportunities, both in the type of position you can apply for, as well as the locations you can work in as not all are easily accessible by train or bus. Candidates that do not yet possess a drivers license should seriously consider learning to drive sooner rather than later. You can find a list of qualified instructors here.
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