Once a thriving manufacturing hub, Coventry suffered severe bomb damage from the German Luftwaffe attacks during World War II. Despite the setback, the city’s well-known motor industry resurged during the 1950s and reached a new high in the 1960s. However, 1970s and 80s saw the British motor industry fall down. Thankfully, industries in Coventry are back on the growth path now, with a major contribution from the city’s two universities - Coventry University and the University of Warwick.
The 12th largest city in the UK, Coventry has many tourist attractions, including St. Michael's Cathedral, and the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum. Coventry was recently ranked one of the top 50 student cities in the world. Working in Coventry is a great opportunity to improve your work-life balance. Here’s a look at the employment scene of this beautiful city.
Job Opportunity
Many internationally acclaimed companies, including IBM, Jaguar LandRover, BMW, London Taxi Company, and E.ON operate from Coventry. Proximity to London and easy availability of talents from the two universities in the city and 15 others within an hour’s distance made Coventry a hot spot for research and development activities. The average Coventry-based company spends around £15,000 on R&D, compared to around £6,800 spent by the average UK-based firm. This means the city provides ample opportunity for researchers, teachers, project managers, and product developers. Every day, more than 70,000 people commute to Coventry for work, while around 32,000 commute from Coventry. Thanks to its strategic location, Coventry is connected to most other cities in the UK via rail, road, and air. Around 98 percent of the UK people can reach Coventry with a four-hour drive. The local government provides grants for small and medium business developing innovative technology products. At present, Amazon is building 40000 square meter warehouse in the city, which could create around 1600 new jobs. Overall, job opportunities abound in the city, for both entry level and experienced employees.Key Industries
Once known as the ribbon-making hub in Europe, Coventry later made a name for itself in the automotive sector. Lately, the city’s economy has become more diversified, with an increased focus on electronics, digital and creative sectors, and aerospace and low carbon technologies. Rail, automotive, motorsport, and aerospace sectors employ more than 40,000 people and contribute largely to the local economy. Most of the companies are located at the Midlands automotive and aerospace cluster, and most of them invest considerably on research and development.Aerospace
Europe’s largest aerospace cluster Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) is located in Coventry. It is home to some leading aerospace companies, such as JJ Churchill, Rolls Royce, and Arrowsmith Engineering. R&D facilities are also available in the two universities and The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).Low carbon
Many companies in Coventry are working on developing low carbon products. In addition to the two universities, R&D on low carbon technologies is performed in several other centres in and around the city, including the National Automotive Innovation Campus (NAIC) and the National Low Carbon Centre. Some companies, including BMW, Aston Martin, and Dennis Eagle are engaged in manufacturing low carbon vehicles.Digital and creative
Recent years have seen the city’s digital and creative sectors growing at a faster pace than ever before. The online game development sector is on the upsurge as well.
Whether you are an aspiring engineer, software developer, product manager, sales manager or marketing executive, you are likely to find a suitable job in Coventry.