Why Lancashire Is The Place To Develop Your Finance Career

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After the pandemic, are you considering moving your finance career? Then you really should consider Lancashire. I know I am biased; I was brought up in the best county in England, and hear me out while I share a few things about this area of the north you might not know. 

Why listen to me? I was born and raised here and developed my recruiting skills before launching my rapidly growing financial recruitment consultancy Rebus Recruitment. 

Lancashire really is the unnamed centre of the U.K. Bordering Cumbria to the north, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, Yorkshire to the East and the North Sea to the west, it is at the centre of everything. 

As I will share later, the economy is growing fast here and needs financial talent; and an additional upside is that it is a fabulous and affordable place to live. 

Lancashire has over 3000 km2 of rich countryside and even richer industry and education, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, all interconnected by stunning scenery and one of the best motorway networks in the U.K. 

Don’t just take my word for it. 

Did you know that Preston was named the best city to live in the Northwest earlier this year? 

The Good Growth for Cities Index researched by PwC ranked places on indicators including health, jobs, housing and the potential to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The index measures the performance of the U.K.’s largest cities and looked at what the post-coronavirus recovery prospects are like for 2021. 

The last eighteen months has changed many things, but the public’s priorities have largely stayed the same. 

Preston remains the highest performing city in the Northwest for the second time. It scored above average across several categories the public think are most important when it comes to jobs, health, housing, income, skills, transport, income distribution, work-life balance, the environment and business start-ups. 

When assessing the potential economic effect of Covid-19, the average annual economic impact on cities in the Northwest region is -11.9% in 2020, the lowest rate out of all areas and lower than the U.K. average. 

This is all good news for both the availability of jobs and sectors looking to grow. It is not surprising then that many industries are consolidating their operations here in the Northwest, and logically, ambitious employees are moving north intending to develop their career while providing a great place to live in their family unit. 

So, let’s look at the upsides of Lancashire, starting with what it is like to live here. 

 

Living in Lancashire 

House prices in Lancashire, according to Rightmove, had an overall average cost of under £200k, making it affordable to move to an area with easy access to major towns, schools, the countryside, and entertainment.  

Lancashire has 137 miles of coastline, and Blackpool resides here, too, the most popular seaside resort in the U.K. Over 80% of the county is classed as rural with stunning walks for all abilities; oh and for the foodies, we have, at the last count, eleven Michelin starred restaurants. 

Many state and private schools are based across the county, and last year, a school in East Lancashire was named the best state-funded educational facility in England. Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School is the best state-funded secondary school in Lancashire and England. 

Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, with their theatres, museums, and concert and sporting venues, are less than an hour’s train ride away for those who like the cosmopolitan life. 

Experiencing a great home life is one thing, so let’s now talk about the opportunity to develop your financial career. 

 

Working In Lancashire 

Remote and hybrid working is becoming the new norm in the north-west, though it is worth pointing out that travel across Lancashire is easy. Over sixty years ago, the first stretch of Motorway ever built, the M6, opened near Preston, and this innovative trend continued. 

The county has a top-rate road communications infrastructure, including the M6, M55, M58, M61, M66 and M65 motorways that provide both north-south and east-west rapid access to other parts of the region and beyond. 

The county has multiple train lines, including the iconic Glasgow to Euston route that stops at Preston, with a short two-hour journey from Preston station to London being used by many commuters daily. 

Lancashire has more STEM graduates than anywhere else in the U.K. and is the respected pioneer of the aerospace industry with over 500 companies that support the industrial supply chain. 

With such ease of access and industrial heritage, it’s no wonder that many organisations have moved to this area of the north.  

East Lancashire hosts the ‘engineering corridor’ that spans the M65. As the birthplace of the industrial revolution, it is not surprising that so many STEM organisations serve companies across the globe. 

Lancashire is recognised as a place where growth happens. 

In 2013 boost, Lancashire’s business growth hub was launched as part of the European Regional Development Fund and the Northern Powerhouse, which is the government’s vision of a super-connected, globally-competitive northern economy with a flourishing private sector, a highly-skilled population, and world-renowned civic and business leadership. 

Boost provides a range of funded business support programmes in addition to a dedicated service that helps you navigate the local, regional and national business support landscape to find the right support for companies who choose to move here. 

Led by Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, Boost is a driving force of the Lancashire economy and has supported over 8,000 businesses and helped create over 3,000 jobs while adding over £100m to the economy in the last eight years. 

If you are building your finance team here or considering developing your career in Lancashire, we can help. We have access to the newest finance opportunities in the North West for accountancy candidates – call me on 01282 930930. 

 

Thanks,  

Rachel 

 

About Rebus Financial Recruitment 

Rebus Financial Recruitment provides a specialist and focused recruitment service to its customers, which historically range from various organisations, including SME’s to large PLCs.    

We strive to offer both the client and candidate a seamless recruitment experience. Using our expertise, we get to the heart of employer and employee needs, and, in doing so, we match the two perfectly. To find out more, get in contact with one of our team today, or you can call us on 01282 930930. 

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