Integra People is a national recruitment consultancy, providing quality contract, temporary, and permanent staffing solutions to clients from our wide network of UK offices.
Back in 2008 when our business was established, we wanted a name that revolved around our fundamental values of ‘integrity’ and ‘people’, and from this Integra People was born.
People are the biggest assets to our business, therefore we only hire the best, to ensure we deliver an outstanding level of client and candidate service. From our consultants to our administrators, our team is professional, always ready to listen, and will go the extra mile.
We are one of the fastest growing recruitment companies in the UK, and as a corporate member of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation Ltd (REC), we are committed to upholding the excellent standards of practice set by the REC.
Partnering with the right recruitment specialist can add value to your business, and as a dynamic recruitment agency, we possess the right skills, experience, and knowledge to match your recruitment requirements.
Combining our deep industry knowledge and an unmatched understanding of human potential, we provide professional talent resourcing in the areas of construction, engineering, manufacturing & industrial, IT & telecoms, commercial & business support, healthcare and education.
Hot Jobs
News & Blog
July 16,2018
Manufacturing’s importance in the North West
A new report claims that industry is increasing its importance to the North West economy, with the total number of jobs growing by 4.5% since 2010.
Brexit, Industry 4.0 and economic uncertainty are all challenges that the manufacturing industry in the UK faces. Despite these challenges, a new survey has revealed that the North West is still a manufacturing powerhouse, with industry being of vital importance in this area.
The report from EEF claims that 350,000 people work in manufacturing, and there have been 15,000 jobs created since 2010, recording healthy output and order balances and a healthy demand from both home and foreign markets as a result.
The region also accounts for 15.4% of the total UK manufacturing output, which is the second highest in the UK.
Richard Halstead, Director of Member Engagement for EEF in the North, said: “The report shows that industry continues to have an increasingly vital role to play in the North West.
The last year has seen a strong performance with lofty heights being reached in the second half of last year and it is no surprise to see some easing back in the first half of 2018.”
Graham Ellis, director and head of manufacturing at BDO in the North West, said: “Local manufacturers have delivered another strong performance. Manufacturing is a real powerhouse sector for our regional economy, creating jobs and opportunities in both domestic and international markets.
However, it is crucial the government does not lose focus on the importance of UK manufacturing as we endure the twists and turns of EU negotiations. A long term, practical Industrial Strategy that delivers a positive trading environment for businesses post-Brexit will be important to the future success of our manufacturing heartland.”
Brexit offers opportunities as well as threats, and companies need to consider their routes in order to differentiate themselves from competition and demonstrate why they are better than the rest.
If you want to find out what Industrial and Manufacturing jobs are available, please contact a friendly member of the team on 01925 839 823, for a confidential chat about your future.
News & Blog
July 11,2018
Are Primary School SATs putting too much pressure on children?
Despite a rising number of pupils passing their SATs tests, teachers’ unions fear they place too much pressure on young children.
A higher proportion of 11 year old primary school pupils are achieving in the new tougher national curriculum tests, often known as SATs. The tests (reading, writing and maths) were passed by 64% up from 61% in 2017.
In reading, 75% reached the expected standard, compared with 71% last year. In maths, 76% reached the expected standard, up from 75% last year.
Many figures in education argue that KS2 tests place excessive pressure on young children, and are used to represent a school’s performance, and this can be an inaccurate representation.
Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said they had received reports about children crying and having nightmares about the assessments.
“Schools do their best to protect their pupils from stress and anxiety, but action is clearly needed to reduce the pressure of the current system.
The problem is not the tests themselves but the fact that they are used as the main way of judging primary schools and the stakes are extremely high. In reality, four days of tests out of seven years of schooling can never provide anything more than a snapshot” she said.
School Standards Minister Nick Gibb has a positive view of the purpose of the school curriculum. He said the results reflect rising standards in primary school.
“A good primary education lays the foundations for success at secondary school and beyond,” he said.
“That’s why we introduced a more rigorous, knowledge-rich primary school curriculum – with an emphasis on reading and fluency in arithmetic – to ensure every child is helped to reach their potential from the moment they start school.”
News & Blog
July 03,2018
NHS Doctors and Nurses - Immigration Changes
The Home Office has said that foreign medics should be excluded from the government’s cap on skilled migration.
NHS groups welcomed the decision to relax immigration rules to allow more doctors and nurses from outside the EU into the UK to work, claiming it would be a “huge relief”.
The current cap for non-EU skilled workers is set at £20,700 a year, which makes it hard to fill vacancies in the NHS.
According to Global Future, 12.5% of NHS England’s staff are from overseas. That number rises to 45% in certain specialities, such as paediatric cardiologists and neurosurgeons.
The Tier 2 Visa’s bring skilled workers to the UK from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, but since 2011 there has been a cap on the number that can be issued.
NHS England had 35,000 nurse vacancies and nearly 10,000 doctor posts unfilled in February, according to an NHS report. Recently the cap has been exceeded for several months in arrow, due to demand for NHS workers, which make up 40% of all Tier 2 places.
The Financial Times reported that 2,360 visa applications by doctors from outside the EEA area were refused in a five-month period, which is apparently a result of the cap.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid, said: “I recognise the pressures faced by the NHS and other sectors in recent months. Doctors and nurses play a vital role in society and at this time we need more in the UK. That is why I have reviewed our skilled worker visa route.”
Alp Mehmet of pressure group Migration Watch, said: “What we must not forget to do is train our own medical staff,” he said, adding that the UK should not raid other countries that may need doctors and nurses more than the UK does.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, speaking at the NHS Confederation’s annual conference in Manchester, said that training places for doctors, nurses and midwives were up by 25%.
Saffron Cordery of trade body NHS providers, said that the proposed new government policy is “going to be a huge relief for trusts up and down the country who have been really struggling to fill their doctors and nurses vacancies.”
The current annual cap on these visas has also led to over 1000 engineers and IT specialists and teachers being denied visas. The proposed change will initially only apply to doctors and nurses, however the government said that this will free up hundreds of visa’s for workers within these other industries.
News & Blog
June 29,2018
North Wales £30 Million Construction Hub First of its Kind
The first of its kind in Wales, a housing association has built a new business park to create a £30 million a year construction hub.
The new development is located in Mochdre on the outskirts of Colwyn Bay and was built by Cartrefi Conwy. It will enable Cartrefi Conwy to deliver more for the community, in particular in Conwy but also across North Wales.
The first housing association in Wales to invest in a business park, it is an exciting position to be in and the £30 million construction hub is planned to create up to 300 new homes.
The £1.7 million business park also hopes to kickstart local regeneration projects as well as provide jobs and training for its unemployed tenants. It has created 50 jobs and provided training for almost 200 tenants so that they can get back into the world of work.
Adrian Johnson, managing director of Commercial Services for Cartrefi Conwy group, said:
“We are diversifying our business, creating new income streams through construction related activities but ensuring tenants are given as many work opportunities as possible.
“Over the next five years as a group we’re looking at constructing up to 250 to 300 homes, through social housing grant programmes and working with a range of developers across North Wales.
“We’ll be spending around £30 million just on new-build provision locally in the area.
“On top of that we’re still actively refurbishing our existing stock with a programme of £5 million to £6 million per annum over the next five years maintaining the stock to ensure the continue to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard. That work is now being carried out by the Creating Enterprise.
“As a result, we’re creating employment opportunities for tenants and pumping money back into the local economy.
“The idea is to help tenants who really have struggled to get jobs by giving them an opportunity on these work schemes, learning new skills, with the profits being recycled for into giving tenants opportunities for work.
“Travis Perkins and Brenig Construction will also be tenants within the Business Park. These companies are key to our supply chain so we will be creating a construction hub with an overall annual turnover of around £30 million.”
News & Blog
June 20,2018
Employment on the rise for Wales as it plays its part in a renaissance of UK manufacturing
As the UK government continues to put manufacturing at the heart of its programme for a more prosperous future, the annual “Voice of Welsh Manufacturing” event on 4th June brought leaders from Wales’ manufacturing sector to discuss with Ministers the upcoming challenges and next steps for the sector.
The meeting, which outlined how the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy will help to keep the UK at the forefront of crucial areas of comparative advantage such as AI and the automotive industry, also looked at how manufacturing has the power to transform the prospects of the British economy, and the lives of future generations.
Alun Cairns, Secretary of State for Wales, said: “Building on Wales’ strengths, we want to work closely with businesses to support and grow the UK’s manufacturing capabilities, encourage innovation and promote exports.
That is why we are working with businesses to put into practice a modern Industrial Strategy for modern British manufacturing.”
He also discussed the importance of protecting the interests of British manufacturing at a time where Britain is seeing a new relationship with the EU and seeking to protect the Welsh steel sector amid ongoing discussions with the USA over import tariffs.
The importance of Welsh businesses maintaining their access to markets across Europe was also underlined, and ensuring that the UK continues to attract the best and brightest talent from across the world.
He added that: “Employment across Wales is on the rise and, based on conversations I’ve had with people in the room today, it would rise even further if they could lay their hands on enough people with the skills they need.”
Simon Vittle, Head of Manufacturing for Barclays in Wales, said: “Skills shortages was a topic of conversation as usual, with the shift from vocational qualifications to university degrees and the misperceptions regarding the well paid and rewarding roles, engineering and manufacturing careers offer.
Inspiring the next generation of designers, engineers and makers is of paramount importance, but we need to place greater emphasis on upskilling, retraining and lifelong learning.”
News & Blog
June 18,2018
Britons are most proud of our nations NHS
As the NHS prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary, Britain’s most cherished institution has topped that list of “British things” that Brits are most proud about.
According to the 28th Mintel British Lifestyles report, more than half of adults (54%) rate the NHS top, followed by British history (38%), the British armed forces (34%) and the Royal family (28%).
Jack Duckett, senior consumer lifestyles analyst at Mintel, said: “The NHS is at the heart of the UK’s affections. For many Brits, the national healthcare service has become a symbol of a fair society, delivering free at the point of access services for all, irrespective of wealth or financial contributions.”
The NHS was created after the desolation of the Second World War, and British public remains committed to them today.
With the NHS there are no insurance premiums to pay, and people don’t have to worry about health insurance policies when changing jobs.
Since the 2008 recession, government spending on the NHS has grown but at a slower pace. The UK currently spends 9.9% of GDP on health care, with 80% of this spending on the NHS and the remainder on private health expenditure.
As the NHS is underfunded, people have to wait to be treated, and this stretches into employment, where there is also currently a shortage of healthcare staff, notably nurses. Most Britons love the NHS, they just want the government to improve funding.
News & Blog
June 13,2018
Java Developer job description
The role of a Java developer is in demand at the moment, so it is the perfect time to consider a job in this field. A Java developer is responsible for the programming and development of software and applications using Java.
Java is a popular programming language, with a reported 9 million developers. It is known for its efficient processing speed in computer games, software and applications for both mobile and desktop.
A Java developer creates user information solutions by developing, implementing and maintaining Java based components and interfaces. They may collaborate with web developers and engineers to integrate Java into business applications, websites and software.
Duties may include:
Analysing user requirements to define site objectives
Design and develop user interfaces to internet/intranet applications
Develop, test, implement and maintain application software
Conduct software analysis
Programming
Testing
Debugging
Compare advantages and disadvantages of custom development and purchase alternatives, to recommend system solutions
Take part in software development activities
Create multimedia applications using authoring tools
Identify application issues
Recommend changes to improve established processes
Researching new technologies and software
Contributing to team meetings
Trouble shooting development and production problems across multiple environments and operating platforms
Desirable attributes:
It can be a challenging job and there are certain attributes that a Java developer ideally will possess: Web programming skills, teamwork, verbal communication skills, skilled at learning new computer languages, and the patience to solve problems.
Key technical skills:
Java based web services
JSP
EJB
J2EE framework
Relational Databases SQL & ORM
XML, X Query, XSL
Test-driven development
Object orientated analysis and design
Qualifications and experience needed:
Applicants without any kind of degree or education can be considered, if they have significant knowledge and experience of programming in Java.
However a professional certification is recommended, and most employers will require applicants to have a degree in computer science, mathematics, information systems or other related field.
News & Blog
June 11,2018
Manufacturing Recruitment Intentions Hit Two Year High
Recruitment intentions among SME manufacturers in the UK are at a two year high, according to new data.
Of the almost 300 manufacturing SME leaders surveyed in the latest National Manufacturing Barometer, 53% expressed their intention to hire more employees over the next six months.
This is up 5% on the past quarter, and the highest figure reported in two years, showing that businesses are planning to take on more staff in a bid to boost productivity and sales, illustrating a confidence in the market, despite continued uncertainty regarding Brexit and trade talks.
In other positive news, 60% of manufacturers reported an increase in sales with 68% expecting orders to rise between now and the end of the year.
The National Barometer’s special focus found many SMEs lacked skilled staff within their manufacturing teams, particularly with technical levels in design, general management and operational levels in sales and marketing.
Bosses also had concerns about the quality of staff training, the attitude of some new recruits, salary expectations and the cost and quality of recruitment.
Simon Howes, CEO of Exelin Group, said: “The need to focus on recruitment comes as no surprise and reflects what manufacturers are telling us about their concerns around productivity and the availability of people.
“As we approach Brexit, it’s important to recognise that UK SME manufacturing is proving resilient. The analysis of the key trends and comments in this quarter’s Barometer points to firm intentions of growth, improved productivity and increasing profitability.”
Technology expert Kate Russell’s top 5 tips for recruiting future talent (Source: EEF):
Be proactive
Be visible
Be flexible
Be creative
Engage apprentices
News & Blog
June 08,2018
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Integra People maintain high standards with REC training
Three motivated consultants from leading Warrington based recruitment company Integra People’s permanent recruitment division ‘Ataris Search’ have successfully completed REC Level 3 diploma’s as part of their ongoing development.
Greg Higgins, Colin Roberts and Tom Erotokritakis, who between them have been with the company for over fifteen years, are pleased to receive their certificates after a year of studying, shadowing and doing homework, in order to improve their existing skillsets.
Local training company Solvo Vir contacted the recruitment firm about the opportunity due to them being a well-known recruitment business in the area. Integra People hold a corporate membership with the REC, and when the latest diploma was introduced, the company decided to offer existing experienced staff the chance to study for the qualification.
David Lewis, Managing Director, said: “Our training initiative within the business is to invest in our people, as we recognise that this further promotes higher quality standards. Integra People are continuously investing in staff and ensuring the business is operating to the best practice within recruitment.”
Noting that trust and reputation within a recruitment agency relies on its staff, Integra People recognise that well developed and trained recruitment professionals will promote the next generation of higher level recruiters.
“As a company we realise that when entering employment, training and development is vital for progression and job satisfaction. People are at the forefront of everything that we do, and we aim to potentially attract new talent within the evolving and successful business,” said Mr Lewis.
News & Blog
June 06,2018
Plumbers revealed to be happiest workers in Britain
A recent survey commissioned by experiences company Boundless has revealed that Britain’s plumbers are the happiest professionals in the country.
55% of plumbers surveyed said they were ‘very happy’ in life, and it seems that tradespeople in general are way ahead in the happiness index, as builders were up next on 38%.
The Boundless Happiness Index results revealed workers are happiest in these roles:
Plumbers: 55%
Builders: 38%
Marketing: 36%
Taxi and lorry drivers: 32%
Bankers: 32%
Doctors: 31%
With not one single plumber ranking as ‘unhappy’, why is it that plumbers just aren’t getting that sinking feeling?
Ian Holmes-Lewis, Director at Boundless, said: “Plumbers are clearly happy people! Perhaps being their own boss plays a part in that, especially as builders and property developers were high on the list as well.
But it was also interesting to see plumbers ranked highly in our survey for quality of sleep and physical activity. On top of that, 64% said that they often tried new experiences, which placed them second in that particular table.
It goes to show that it is not only experiences in the workplace which determine how happy people are in work. Making the most of life outside of work can have a big impact, too.”
What is a typical day like in the life of plumber?
Working as a plumber does involve a bit more than simply fixing leaking pipes, though this is certainly a rewarding part of the job as you make a client happy and dry again!
A plumber’s day to day work can be varied, from visiting homes to commercial sites.
Tasks you’ll be expected to carry out include:
Planning how and where pipes should be laid during construction
Installing or maintaining heating systems
Fitting domestic appliances (such as dishwashers)
Repairing sanitation systems
Installing air-conditioning units
Fitting bathrooms
Emergency repairs
