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Testimonial
"I connected with Louise at Escape Recruitment Services to seek a proposal for them to work in partnership with Gore to recruit for a start up customer support function in Livingston.
From the moment we first met through to the completion of a highly successful recruitment project, Louise was professional, dedicated and responsive. Nothing was too much trouble (we do like to think we made reasonable requests!) and she delivered what she said she would.
Louise represented Gore to all of the candidates in a professional and consistent way - and ultimately delivered a highly successful candidate sourcing, screening and introduction process for us. Thanks for doing a great job Louise."
Nicky Smith
Recruiting Specialist, W. L. Gore & Associates
Meet our Supply Chain Team
At a time when making sure raw materials and finished goods arrive at the right place, at the right time and at the right cost is more challenging than ever, we’re pleased to introduce our new dedicated Supply Chain team.
Of course, Escape has always recruited for these roles as part of our wider Engineering & Manufacturing team but now with the appointment of experienced Senior Consultant Shuna Boyle joining Lauren Dyer, recently returning from maternity leave, our Supply Chain specialists are branching out.
If you are looking to establish or grow your Supply Chain team, or are looking for your next career move, get in touch with Lauren and Shuna at supplychain@escaperecruitment.com on 01506 461445 or connect with them on LinkedIn:
Welcome (and welcome back) to the team, Lauren and Shuna.
View their latest Supply Chain jobs
2021 New Year: Let's get you started
2020 was a year like no other and as we’ve seen, there continues to be more changes and challenges ahead for us in 2021.
Whilst we can't predict what the next twelve months will look like for us all, we hope the information below will help you make a positive start to the new year.
Hiring?
Get in touch with our recruiters via info@escaperecruitment.com or 01506 461445
Looking for a new role?
See our latest opportunities: | Register your CV: |
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Updating your CV?
- Download our CV template
- Read hints & tips on writing your CV
Get in touch with our recruiters
Keep in touch
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Scottish Engineering Awards 2019 | A Winning Combination

Last Thursday was the Scottish Engineering Awards Dinner 2019, a night of celebrating all that is good in Engineering and Manufacturing in Scotland. Amongst the winners on the night was engineer, Angus Moodie of Aggreko UK in Dumbarton. Angus was awarded the Hammermen Award, a prestigious award presented to a young graduate engineer who has led a project that benefited their company and the industry in general.
Angus is actually the second Aggreko employee in recent years to win the award with Meryl Devlin winning in 2017 but that’s not all Angus and Meryl have in common. Both engineers were actually placed in Aggreko by Escape Recruitment’s Senior Engineering Consultant, Andrew Dow!
Andrew was delighted to see another of his candidates go on to achieve such great recognition for their work saying:
“It was great to catch up with Angus on Thursday evening and to hear about some of the projects he has been involved in during his time with Aggreko. This is a fantastic achievement and I am absolutely delighted for him”.
As active members of Scottish Engineering and regular supporters and sponsors of the annual awards we were thrilled to see many of our customers receive awards and recognition on the night. Scottish Engineering do a fantastic job in highlighting the breadth, ingenuity and excellence in our nation’s Manufacturing and Engineering sectors and we are, as always, proud to be a part of this industry.
Dan Stewart joins board at Escape Recruitment

We are delighted to announce the promotion of our colleague Dan Stewart to the Board of Directors at Escape Recruitment.
Dan Stewart, has been appointed to Escape Recruitment’s board of Directors. Dan, who has been with Escape since 2005, heads up our Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain division and our Trades division.
Whilst continuing to manage and lead his teams across the Central Belt, Dan now joins Managing Director, Adrian Brady and his fellow board members as Escape start their 19th year in business.
Adrian was delighted to make the announcement at Escape’s recent annual conference sharing that:
“Dan has always been a role model within our business, he leads by example setting high standards in both delivery and quality of service and is an excellent coach and mentor to his team members.
In welcoming Dan to our board we look forward to his energy, drive and creativity making a positive contribution to sustainable growth and development of Escape”.
Promotion for Lauren Daly
Lauren Daly, specialist Supply Chain recruiter within Escape’s Engineering and Manufacturing division, has been promoted to Senior Consultant.
Recruiting with Escape since 2016, Lauren has consistently delivered a high-quality, recruitment service to a wide range of leading organisations across Scotland and has been recognised within our business for her commitment to our values and achieving sustained business growth. This year Lauren has not only recorded her best year in recruitment but was also presented with a Director’s Award and achieved our internal Business Development Award.
Dan Stewart, Director and Head of Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, shared his delight regarding Lauren’s promotion at our recent company meeting, saying:
“Lauren has shown real determination to achieve and develop since she joined Escape as a Trainee Recruiter. She has not only built an excellent track record and reputation but has quickly become a key member of our recruitment team, supporting the development of trainees within our business and continuing her own professional development. With colleagues like Lauren in our business we are well on course to achieve our strategic growth objectives.”
Recognising Excellence at Escape

Anne Marie Keisler
Anne Marie leads from the front through the quality of her work, her willingness to take on additional responsibility and her high levels of customer service. She is always willing to learn new things and is not afraid to take on new projects. She is liked and respected by all of her colleagues not just for the great work she does but because she is someone who clearly lives the company values.
Lauren Daly
Since joining Escape, Lauren has led by example and been an inspiration to everyone around her. She’s a committed and talented recruiter who always puts the needs of her clients, candidates and colleagues ahead of her own. These traits are not seen often enough in business and she’s the perfect example of how they bring success. Her award is well deserved and we are proud to have her as a member of our team.
We hope you join us in congratulating these two worthy winners and wish them well as we head into our new year at Escape.
Hat trick of good news

Escape’s Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Team are celebrating a hat trick of good news as three team members achieve success.
Our two Andrews, Andrew Dow and Andrew Wands, are both celebrating promotions this month. Andrew Dow takes on the role of Senior Consultant, following two and a half years as part of the Escape team. Based in our East Kilbride office, Andrew has gained a reputation for delivering a high quality service to his clients and candidates; his professional approach and determination to succeed is well respected by his colleagues and our management team.
His colleague and Advanced Technologies specialist, Andrew Wands, joined Escape in 2016 and has successfully completed his Escape traineeship this month. Andrew has worked hard, developing his knowledge and skills within his specialism and delivering effective recruitment solutions for his clients, something recognised by the rest of his team and the wider company.
Lauren Daly, specialist in Supply Chain recruitment also has reason to celebrate; she has successfully completed a number of assessments and passed her final exam, obtaining the Level 3 Certificate in Recruitment Practice (CertRP). Developed by the Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP), part of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) to ensure that individual recruiters are “recognised as a professional who upholds world-class recruitment standards”, the qualification covers a number of units including, legal and ethical requirements, principles of assessing people and relationship management.
We are delighted for their success and look forward to all three playing a pivotal part in the ongoing growth and success of Escape for many years to come.
Escape Office Hours - Festive Season 2016 / 2017
Escape's offices will be closed on the 26th/27th December 2016 and the 2nd/3rd January 2017.
Our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter channels will also be taking a break over Christmas but will be back in the new year, keeping you up to date with all our latest job opportunities!
How to Contact Us:
Whilst many of our recruiters will also be on holiday during the Christmas and New Year period you can get in touch with us via our switchboards or company email:
- Livingston: 01506 461445
- Glasgow / East Kilbride: 0141 410 9111
- Kirkcaldy: 01592 214 400
- Email us at: info@escaperecruitment.com
Temping with us?
If you have any queries relating to your timesheets, holidays or pay dates over the festive season please call our Accounts team on 01506 461445 or email them at accounts@escaperecruitment.com
National Minimum Wage Changes October 2016
Following changes made in April this year, the National Minimum Wage has changed again on the 1st October 2016.
The table below shows the minimum rates workers are entitled to.
As from April 2017, the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage will both be changed annually, in April.
Type of Payment |
From 1 October 2016 |
From 1 April 2016 |
Workers aged 25 and over (minimum rate per hour) |
£7.20 |
£7.20 |
Workers aged 21 and over (minimum rate per hour) |
£6.95 |
£6.70 |
Workers aged 18-20 (minimum rate per hour) |
£5.55 |
£5.30 |
Workers aged under 16 and 17 (minimum rate per hour) |
£4.00 |
£3.87 |
Apprentices under 19 (or aged 19 and over in the first year of their apprenticeship) |
£3.40 |
£3.30 |
Accommodation offset amount (per day) |
£6.00 |
£5.35 |
Escape Annual Conference Awards 2016
Last Friday, 2nd September 2016, was Escape Recruitment’s annual conference. As well as marking our 16th anniversary and looking forward to the year ahead, we took the opportunity to celebrate the success and achievements of our team throughout 2015-2016.
With nominations from our colleagues for living our values, our annual Directors’ award and honours for success in business development and delivery, we were delighted to award a number of members of staff at this year’s event:
- Living our Values Award (Q4)
- Business Development Champions
- 2015-16 Consultant of the year
- 2015-16 Directors' Award
REC JobsOutlook July 2016
Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative body for the UK recruitment industry, have shared their latest jobs outlook, highlighting key trends, forecasts and feedback from UK employers. Commenting on the report, REC chief executive Kevin Green said: “Whilst it is too early to draw conclusions about the impact the EU referendum result will have on hiring activity, it is encouraging to see how strong the UK jobs market was in the months leading up to the vote. “Data from the ONS shows that employment grew by 624,000 in the last year and we have our best ever employment rate of 74.4 per cent. This supports the idea that the jobs market will be able to withstand any disruption to the economic outlook. “At the same time, there are still lots of employers finding it difficult to hire the staff they need in both highly skilled sectors such as engineering and at the other end of the market in hospitality and healthcare. “With British applicants already in short supply, policy makers must ensure that employers can continue to access the people they need from Europe to fill the jobs available. This must be top of the agenda to safeguard the strength of the UK jobs market and sustainable economic growth which benefits us all.” (Survey conducted 21st of June, report published in July)
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Source: REC |
Scottish Engineering Awards 2016
This year's Scottish Engineering Awards Dinner was held on 12th May at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow, celebrating the continuing excellence in manufacturing engineering throughout Scotland.
The event, was opened by John Howie, the industry body’s current President, who recognised that whilst this had not been a particularly easy year for most of their members, the evening’s award winners were to be congratulated for “excelling in difficult circumstances”.
Delegates, from a wide range of disciplines across the Scottish manufacturing engineering industry enjoyed keynote speech from Vice-Admiral Simon Lister, CB, OBE, FREng, and entertainment from Peter C Brown.
Main Award
The winner of the 2016 Scottish Engineering Award was: Mitsubushi Electric Air-Con Systems
President's Award for Outstanding Achievement
The winners of the 2016 President's Award for Outstanding Achievement were:
- Clyde Bergemann Ltd
- Progress Rail Services UK
- BAE Systems Naval Ships
- Ingenico UK Ltd
- Bosch Rexroth Ltd
- Had Fab Ltd
Scottish Engineering/Hammermen Award
Each year, Scottish Engineering, in association with the Incorporation of Hammermen, recognises a young engineer who has led a project that benefited their company and the industry in general.
The winner for 2016 was Ashley Nicholson, Harbour Master Forth Inner at Forth Ports Limited
Related Pages:
‘The National Living Wage’ and ‘The Living Wage’
From the 1st of April 2016 a new rate of pay will apply to workers aged 25 and over. This rate is called the “National Living Wage”.
So, what’s the difference between this and the “Living Wage” and what do you need to know?
- Minimum Wage – The National Minimum Wage (including the "national living wage") is the legal minimum an employer can pay an employee. It is set by the UK Government.
- The National Living Wage – This new rate is described as "essentially a new Minimum Wage for the over 25s" which starts on 1st April 2016
- The Living Wage - A voluntary rate that employers can choose to commit to paying.
ScottishLivingWage.org shares their “fast facts” shown below on the difference between the Minimum Wage (including the National Living Wage”) and the Living Wage:
The Minimum Wage (Including The National Living Wage) |
The Living Wage (Voluntary) |
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Find out more about the differences and how the pay rates compare at: scottishlivingwage.org
For more information and FAQs relating to the new National Living Wage visit:
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Toughest Interview Questions for 2016
Glassdoor have published their 10 toughest interview questions for 2016 and Topshop have taken the top spot in the UK with their question “Which magic power would you like to have?”.
The most popular answer to this question, as rated by visitors to the site is currently “invisibility”. However we quite like the thinking behind the candidate who chose: “Mindreading (to know what they're thinking for the rest of the interview)”!
As well as posting the UK’s toughest questions, Glassdoor shared the Top 10 from 5 other countries.
There were a few common themes:
Estimating unusual quantities:
- How many smarties fit into a VW bus? (Germany)
- How many gas stations are there in the Paris Region? (France)
- How do you calculate the number of red cars in a city? (Canada)
- How many basketballs would fit in this room? (US)
- How many people born in 2013 were named Gary? (UK)
Selling / describe yourself:
- What will you be famous for? (UK)
- We meet on an elevator and you have until we reach the 10th floor to convince me that you’re right for the job. Go! (Canada)
- If you were a fruit, what would you be and why? (UK)
- If you were a utensil, which one would you be and why? (Canada)
- If you were a brand, what would be your motto? (US)
Money:
- What would you do with 200,000 euros? (France)
- If I gave you $40,000 to start a business, what would you start? (US)
- If you had all the money in the world, what would you do as a business owner? (Germany)
And then of course there were some questions which are in a category all of their own:
- What you rather fight: 1 horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses? (US)
- How do you get an elephant in a fridge? (UK)
- Which Game of Thrones character do you like most? (Canada)
Full list of the UK’s Top Toughest Interview Questions - 2016
- Topshop: "Which magic power would you like to have?"
- Topdeck Travel: "If you were a fruit, what kind would you be and why?"
- BlackBerry: "If you could have dinner with three actors that are no longer living, who would you pick?"
- IBM: "How many hours would it take to clean every single window in London?"
- Gemalto: "How do you get an elephant in a fridge?"
- Standard Bank Group: "If the time is quarter past 3, what is the angle measurement on the clock?"
- Network Rail: "If you had three minutes alone in a lift with the CEO, what would you say?"
- BT: "How many people born in 2013 were named Gary?"
- EY: "What will you be famous for?"
- Aviva Investors: "How many nappies are purchased per year in the UK?"
Welcome to Lauren Daly
This month we are delighted welcome Lauren Daly to our Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain team. With a background in recruitment and customer service, Lauren joins Escape’s Livingston office where she will specialise in the recruitment of Supply Chain and Procurement professionals across Scotland. Lauren was inspired to follow a career in recruitment whilst completing her HND in Business and HR; sharing that she particularly enjoys learning about new job functions and the fact that every day is different. On joining Escape, Lauren commented: “I’m looking forward to working closely with the team at Escape who have already been supportive in welcoming me to the business and sharing their knowledge with me. I hope to continue the success that they have had in delivering high-quality recruitment services to our clients and candidates.” Dan Stewart, Head of Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Recruitment at Escape added: “We’re delighted to welcome Lauren to the team and have already been impressed by her dedication and enthusiasm. Lauren allows us to focus even more firmly on a key sector – Supply Chain, and grow our already comprehensive offering in that area for both our clients and candidates.”
Connect with Lauren 01506 461 445 | lauren.daly@escaperecruitment.com | LinkedIn Our Engineering, Manufacturing & Supply Chain team specialise in recruiting within: Design | Quality | Process | Maintenance | Management | Projects | Scientific | Supply Chain, Procurement & Purchasing |
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REC JobsOutlook March 2016
Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative body for the UK recruitment industry, have shared their latest jobs outlook (highlighting key trends, forecasts and feedback from UK employers. Commenting on the report, “Engineering is a particular area of concern – the government announced new major infrastructure projects in last week’s Budget, but there are question marks over how increased demand for skilled workers will be met when supply is already a problem”, REC chief executive Kevin Green said: “Engineering is a particular area of concern – the government announced new major infrastructure projects in last week’s Budget, but there are question marks over how increased demand for skilled workers will be met when supply is already a problem” Summary of key points: (Survey conducted in February, report published in March)
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Source: REC |
REC JobsOutlook February 2016
Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative body for the UK recruitment industry, have shared their latest jobs outlook (highlighting key trends, forecasts and feedback from UK employers. Commenting on the report, which highlighted that “it will become increasingly difficult for employers to find staff” and “Almost half of UK employers (47 per cent) have awarded pay rises in the last 12 months to help attract and retain talent”, REC chief executive Kevin Green said: “Options are running out for organisations that want to take on more staff. Schools and hospitals are already facing enormous problems because of a shortage of teachers and nurses. SMEs and big businesses are both feeling the pressure. The need for people to do the jobs available is driving firms to become more innovative and creative in their recruitment strategies. As campaigning begins in earnest around the EU referendum, jobs will be high on the agenda. We urge both sides of the argument to keep in mind that UK businesses must have sufficient access to the global labour market in order to thrive. We need more skilled people to fill job vacancies in the UK, not fewer.” Summary of key points: (Survey conducted in January, report published in February)
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Source: REC |
REC JobsOutlook January 2016
Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative body for the UK recruitment industry, have shared their latest jobs outlook (published end January 2016), highlighting key trends, forecasts and feedback from UK employers. Commenting on the report, REC director of policy Tom Hadley said: “Businesses want to hire so that they can take on more work. But with fewer candidates available, employers need to take a thoughtful approach to bring in the skills they need.” “Hirers should be looking at how they can reach out to people who might find it more difficult to take on full-time work, such as parents or older workers. At the same time, businesses need to evaluate how they engage with under-represented group such as disabled people. Often this is about structuring work differently to fit a candidate’s needs and lifestyle.” Summary of key points:
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Source: REC |
25 Best Jobs in the UK 2016

Glassdoor, the career community website, has produced their annual list showing the top 25 best jobs in the UK.
We’re not surprised by the fact that many of the jobs we recruit for have made the 2016 list with Business Development Manager enjoying the top spot (a jump from number 12 in 2015) joined by Finance Manager and Operations Manager to complete the top three spots.
There are a number of roles which have increased in their ranking from 2015 including Operations Manager (up 14 places), HR Manager (up 7 places), Accountant (up 4 places) and Business Development Manager (up 11 places).
There are also new roles in the top 25 including Design Engineer (22), Commercial Manager (7), Project Manager (8) and Marketing Analyst (11).
As for positions in our own industry, the role of Recruitment Consultant has moved up 4 places to number 14 and two new recruitment roles have been included: Recruiting Manager (13) and Talent Acquisition Specialist (21).
Rankings are based on Glassdoor’s own job score rating, which identifies the highest overall scores across three main areas: average annual base salary, career opportunities rating and number of job openings. Scores were given out of 5.
See the full list of top jobs:
1. Business Development Manager– Glassdoor Job Score: 4.3- Number of Job Openings: 5143
- Average Base Salary: £40,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.5
- Number of Job Openings: 2762
- Average Base Salary: £55,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.3
- Number of Job Openings: 1797
- Average Base Salary: £45,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.7
- Number of Job Openings: 1268
- Average Base Salary: £50,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.8
- Number of Job Openings: 2234
- Average Base Salary: £45,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.4
- Number of Job Openings: 4382
- Average Base Salary: £41,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.4
- Number of Job Openings: 1317
- Average Base Salary: £57,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.3
- Number of Job Openings: 7187
- Average Base Salary: £45,675
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.1
- Number of Job Openings: 2077
- Average Base Salary: £54,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.2
- Number of Job Openings: 23,020
- Average Base Salary: £40,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.1
- Number of Job Openings: 2366
- Average Base Salary: £30,225
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.7
- Number of Job Openings: 5200
- Average Base Salary: £35,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.2
- Number of Job Openings: 566
- Average Base Salary: £43,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 4.3
- Number of Job Openings: 7471
- Average Base Salary: £22,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.8
- Number of Job Openings: 1119
- Average Base Salary: £63,500
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.1
- Number of Job Openings: 11,382
- Average Base Salary: £37,500
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.0
- Number of Job Openings: 624
- Average Base Salary: £45,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.5
- Number of Job Openings: 2784
- Average Base Salary: £32,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.1
- Number of Job Openings: 2116
- Average Base Salary: £25,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.5
- Number of Job Openings: 403
- Average Base Salary: £41,700
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.5
- Number of Job Openings: 229
- Average Base Salary: £40,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 4.2
- Number of Job Openings: 4789
- Average Base Salary: £33,813
- Career Opportunities Rating: 2.9
- Number of Job Openings: 968
- Average Base Salary: £43,315
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.1
- Number of Job Openings: 182
- Average Base Salary: £50,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.4
- Number of Job Openings: 962
- Average Base Salary: £28,000
- Career Opportunities Rating: 3.7
Making Christmas a little sweeter - A big thank you!

Once again we were overwhelmed by the generosity of our clients who have donated so generously to our Christmas Selection Box appeal.
Thanks to their continued support, we have been able to donate over 1400 selection boxes, biscuits, and other treats to three very deserving family and child based charities.
Christmas is a magical time for most children. With this in mind we reach out to our clients to seek donations in the form of sweets and treats and we undertake to match their generosity. Allowing us to bring a little festive cheer to children’s organisations close to each of our offices.
In Livingston we donate to Riverkids, who support over 2000 children across West Lothian and aim to help local children maximise their potential. The Cottage Family Centre provide a range of family support services from their base in Kirkcaldy, and East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid is an independent voluntary organisation, run by women for women and their children.
This is the fourth year for our appeal and on behalf of Riverkids, The Cottage Family Centre and East Dunbartonshire Women's Aid we would like to thank all those who helped make this happen.
If you would also like to support these charities or to find out more about the services they provide you can click on their logos below to be taken to their websites.
REC JobsOutlook December 2015
Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative body for the UK recruitment industry, have shared their latest jobs outlook (published end December 2015), highlighting key trends, forecasts and feedback from UK employers.
Commenting on the report, REC director of policy Tom Hadley said:
“2015 has been a vintage year for the labour market. Employers are confident, hiring has been steady and pay has increased for many people as the benefits of economic growth filter through. The outlook for 2016 is similarly rosy, with many private sector businesses seeking to build upon a successful year by expanding their capacity to take on more work, and also by improving productivity. This should mean even more opportunities for people with the right skills.
Although the overall outlook is upbeat, major challenges are just around the corner. The introduction of the National Living Wage, uncertainty around the EU referendum outcome, and skills shortages that are getting worse in many industries all have the potential to knock employers off their stride. Public sector services such as education and healthcare are already finding it extremely difficult to bring in the people they need. The challenge of ensuring that the demand for staff is met by the supply of suitably skilled candidates casts a shadow over the forecast for 2016.”
Summary of key points:
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Source: REC |
Escape Office Hours - Festive Season 2015 / 2016
Escape's offices will be closed on the 25th/28th December 2015 and the 1st/4th January 2016.
Our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter channels will also be taking a break over Christmas but will be back in the new year, keeping you up to date with all our latest job opportunities!
How to Contact Us?
Whilst many of our recruiters will also be on holiday during the Christmas and New Year period you can get in touch with us via our switchboards or company email:
- Livingston: 01506 461445
- Glasgow: 0141 410 9111
- Kirkcaldy: 01592 214 400
- Email us at: info@escaperecruitment.com
Temping with us?
If you have any queries relating to your timesheets, holidays or pay dates over the festive season please call our Accounts team on 01506 461445 or email them at accounts@escaperecruitment.com
Congratulations to Dan Stewart, 10 year anniversary

It’s fantastic to be celebrating Dan Stewart’s 10th anniversary with Escape Recruitment. When he joined us as a recruitment consultant, he demonstrated a real flair for the role at an early stage. Over subsequent years his drive, commitment and positive “can do-will do” attitude have seen him develop to lead and manage one of the largest technical recruitment teams in Scotland based across our three offices in Glasgow, Livingston and Kirkcaldy.
In marking Dan’s anniversary recently it was significant that through all the smiles and good natured banter there was a real sincerity from his colleagues old and new when recognising the support and contribution he had made to them personally, highlighting the many qualities that he brings to the business on a daily basis and that they have relied upon him at various times in developing their own careers and achieving success.
Dan has supported the growth and success of Escape not just in terms of profit, turnover and increased head-count but in the shaping of a positive culture which has delivered exceptional lengths of service across the organisation.
Out with every day recruitment Dan actively demonstrates a very committed social conscience and to highlight just a few of his projects he is a key driver behind our recycling efforts, as well as encouraging, organising and coordinating blood donations from groups within Escape.
Dan has made a positive difference and contribution to Escape and to the people within it over these past ten years. For that he has our gratitude and very best wishes for the next ten.
IET skills and demand in industry survey 2015
Demand for engineers continues to rise but over half (53 per cent) of employers are struggling to recruit suitably skilled staff, says the 2015 Skills & Demand in Industry report. Published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the report reveals that 61 per cent of employers are least satisfied with skills among graduates – and that two thirds (66 per cent) are concerned that the education system will struggle to keep up with the skills required for technological change. The report also highlights that while over half (53 per cent) of employers say they are recruiting engineering staff this year, 64% claim a shortage of engineers in the UK is a threat to their business. This is the tenth year that the IET has published its skills report and the role of education comes under the spotlight, together with ongoing diversity issues in engineering and a lack of both available graduates and more experienced engineering staff. The findings are based on telephone interviews with over 400 employers of engineering and technology staff drawn from across the United Kingdom undertaken in June 2015. Women account for only 9 per cent of the UK engineering workforce – and yet 57% of employers do not have gender diversity initiatives in place. Other findings include:
Nigel Fine, IET Chief Executive, said: “Demand for engineers in the UK remains high, with supply unable to keep pace – and employers continuing to highlight skills shortages as a major concern. “Stronger and deeper collaboration between employers and academic institutions is needed to agree practical steps to ensure that young people are suitably prepared both academically and practically before they start work. Supporting and encouraging teachers and academics to spend time in industry – and employers to visit schools, colleges and universities – would also be hugely beneficial.” “Employers also need to recognise the need for workforce diversity and do more to attract recruits from a wider talent pool. This might include looking at other professions, such as medicine and accountancy that have been more successful at attracting a diverse workforce. It also means working with parents and teachers to promote engineering as a creative, rewarding and exciting profession for girls, as well as boys.” |
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Related:
Forth Rail Bridge named Scotland’s favourite engineering icon
The Forth Rail Bridge has been named as Scotland’s favourite example of engineering in a survey of 1000 Scots commissioned by the Low Carbon Infrastructure Task Force to mark the launch of the search for the low carbon infrastructure icons of the future. This iconic 125 year old construction, which employed more than 4,500 men during its construction, and took eight years to complete, was also awarded Unesco World Heritage status earlier this year. With 49% of the vote, the Rail Bridge was a clear winner, ahead of Glenfinnan Viaduct which, well-known from its appearance in the Harry Potter films, came second with 13%. Other engineering projects featured in the poll included Glasgow’s subway, the Caledonian Canal and the Falkirk Wheel. Sara Thiam, Chair of Low Carbon Infrastructure Task Force and regional director of the Institution of Civil Engineers, said: “The Forth Bridge continues to be an icon of civil engineering excellence and we’re delighted that it has captured the public’s imagination in this way. The bridge is a great example of how engineering expertise can be used to create infrastructure which stands the test of time and shapes the way we live well into the future.” The Task Force has now published its own longlist of low carbon, future-proof engineering projects and is calling on the public to “follow the bold example of Scotland’s past engineering innovators” and get behind their favourite project online.
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Promotions for Gail Halkett and Linda Hunter
We are delighted to announce promotions for two of our colleagues, Gail Halkett and Linda Hunter.
0141 410 9113 |
Gail Halkett
Dan Stewart, Head of Engineering, Manufacturing and Supply Chain at Escape said: “Gail’s work ethic, professionalism and commitment has been unwavering since she joined Escape in 2007. Testament to this is the strong reputation for delivery she has gained both externally with her customers and internally with her colleagues where she is firmly viewed as a standard bearer. Gail will carry her attitude and determination with her to this new role which is a key position for Escape to enable us to live our values and grow our business.”
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0141 410 9133 |
Linda Hunter Anne-Marie Hamill, Owner & Director at Escape, shared her delight regarding Linda’s promotion at our recent company meeting, saying: “Linda has shown real determination and passion to achieve since she joined Escape as a Trainee Recruiter. Her track record of outstanding performance in the business has been achieved by delivering a high quality service to her customers and candidates whilst supporting the development and efforts of the team. Her professional attitude and friendly approach are admired across the business and her promotion to Senior Consultant well deserved. With colleagues like Linda in our business we are well on course to achieve our strategic growth objectives.” |
Livingston road closures September/October 2015
West Lothian Council is advising drivers of essential work in and around Livingston which are likely to cause delays to our office if travelling eastbound on the M8.
If you are experiencing problems on your journey to our office please contact us on 01506 461445 and we will do our best to provide directions.
Simpson Parkway (M8 Junction 3a - Eastbound)
Work will start at Kirkton Campus Underpass on Simpson Parkway and Kirkton North Road on Monday 14 September and will be completed by 25th October.
This is part of one of the main routes into Livingston from M8 junction 3a, typically used if travelling from the west.
Diversions are in operation and more information can be found on West Lothian Council website.
M8 Juntion 3 - Eastbound
M8 Motorway Junction 3 eastbound slip road will be closed from 8pm on Friday 25th September until 25th October to allow for essential overbridge maintenance
Eastbound traffic that would normally wish to exit at M8 J3 will be diverted via the M8 J3A off slip road and will link with Livingston roundabout via A89 and A899.
For further information, please visit the Amey website(Opens in a new window).
Certificate in Human Resource Practice
Congratulations to our colleague Louise Robertson who has recently completed a Certificate in Human Resource Practice, gaining Associate level CIPD membership. Louise, who has successfully recruited within Scotland’s HR and Learning & Development market since joining Escape in 2007, has worked closely with HR professionals as both her clients and candidates across a wide range of organisations in various sectors in Scotland: “I thoroughly enjoyed this course and found the subject content really enforced the importance of HR within an organisation. For me, it was great to take each of the fundamental elements of HR and understand them in more depth. This is the first stage towards gaining the full CIPD qualification and I would definitely like to continue with further study. Escape have been fully supportive, both financially and throughout the process, which has really helped me juggle the demands of my day-to-day job along with attending college and completing assignments which, after so long away from education (I won’t say how many years!!) definitely took some getting used to!” The qualification, which aims to provide a ‘sound understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required of an HR professional’, is built around 6 core subject areas covering:
Director, Mark Mackill shared his thoughts on Louise’s achievement: “I am delighted that Louise has achieved this qualification. I witnessed at first hand the dedication required to combine her studying, course work and exams with a demanding day job in recruitment. Louise was determined to succeed and she deserves a huge amount of credit for completing this qualification.” |
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Related:
REC JobsOutlook August 2015
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative body for the UK recruitment industry, have released their latest jobs outlook, highlighting key trends, forecasts and feedback from UK employers. This month, the report once again highlighted issues regarding skills shortages and the challenges facing a number of industries within the UK, in particular addressing competition for talent between the private and public sector organisations. Commenting on the report, REC chief executive Kevin Green said: “The private sector is clearly paying more to retain talent so the outlook for public sector organisations whose staff have the skills that the private sector requires is going to be testing. The challenge for business and government is to address the gap between the skills employers want and the skills candidates have. That involves improving careers advice in schools, better vocational education and more opportunities for older workers to reskill.” Confidence
Use of agency workers
Short-term outlook (next 3 months)
Medium-term outlook (4 to 12 months)
Skills shortages
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Source: REC |
#ILookLikeAnEngineer
This month thousands of engineers started using the hashtag #ILookLikeAnEngineer along with photos of themselves explaining their work in engineering. Why? It all started after a recruitment advert for OneLogin attracted comments, photos and discussions about one of the four featured engineers, Isis Wenger, and in particular whether this was what female engineers looked like. Isis, who is a full-stack engineer at OneLogin, published a post about her experience and the different reactions to the campaign. In her post, she describes herself as, amongst other things, a “self-taught engineer, extreme introvert, science-nerd”. With thousands of responses to her to post, Isis encouraged those who identified with her message to use the hashtag. Social analytics site Topsy shows that to date over 97,000 tweets have been sent with the #ILookLikeAnEngineer tag. Want to find out more?
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REC JobsOutlook July 2015
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the representative body for the UK recruitment industry, have released their latest jobs outlook, highlighting key trends, forecasts and feedback from UK employers. This month, REC highlights a recovery from a dip in permanent hiring intentions in the last two months, from 62% in May and 63% in June to 74% this month. Commenting on the regular monthly report, REC chief executive Kevin Green said: “With candidates in short supply employers need to think hard about how they attract jobseekers. Longer term, business, government and educators must work together to help alleviate the skills shortages so that candidates are equipped with the skills that employers need.”
Confidence
Pay
Short-term outlook (next 3 months)
Medium-term outlook (4 to 12 months)
Skills shortages
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![]() “Recruiters also have a major part to play in connecting employers to untapped talent pools” Kevin Green |
Source: REC |
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