Looking for in-demand jobs in the UK in 2026? In the sectors we train for, adult social care, early years and schools stand out. Each one is recruiting all the time, and the official figures show it.
This guide covers care, education and wellbeing only. It doesn’t try to rank every job in the UK. For each sector, we give the latest vacancy or workforce figure from an official source, say whether it covers England or the whole UK, and explain how you could train for a role there.
We update this page every year as new figures come out. Last updated: November 2026.
The most in-demand jobs in care, education and wellbeing
Adult social care
The figure: around 96,000 vacant posts in adult social care in England, a vacancy rate of 6.2% in 2025/26. Source: Skills for Care, The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England (published June 2026, England only).
That is the lowest vacancy rate since 2015/16, yet it still leaves tens of thousands of jobs open every day. Care workers, senior care workers and support workers are needed in care homes, people’s own homes and supported living. Many employers will hire you without a qualification and train you on the job, which makes care one of the most accessible sectors to move into.
How to train: the Health and Social Care Diploma Level 3 leads to the regulated NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care. It needs at least 50 hours in a care setting, assessed by a qualified workplace assessor, and must be completed in England.
Early years and childcare
The figure: in October 2025, nurseries, pre-schools and other group-based childcare providers in England had about one staff vacancy each on average, and it took them around 10 to 11 weeks to fill a vacancy. Source: Department for Education, Pulse survey of early years and childcare providers 2025 (fieldwork 7 October to 4 November 2025, England).
Two to three months is a long time for a nursery to run a person short, especially with strict staff-to-child ratios to meet. And since September 2025, eligible working families in England can get 30 hours of funded childcare a week from when their child is 9 months old (Department for Education), which means more children in nurseries and more places to staff.
How to train: the Early Years Educator Diploma Level 3 is a regulated NCFE CACHE qualification. You need Level 2 English (GCSE grade 4/C or Functional Skills Level 2) and at least 300 placement hours with children aged 0–5, and it must be completed in England.
Schools: teaching assistants and SEN support
The figure: about 295,200 full-time equivalent teaching assistants worked in state-funded schools in England in November 2025, up 6,200 on the year before. Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England (published June 2026, England). This is a count of people in post, not a vacancy figure. DfE doesn’t publish vacancies for support staff.
Teaching assistants are one of the largest groups in the school workforce, and the number keeps growing. Many teaching assistants support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), one to one or in small groups.
How to train: the Supporting Teaching and Learning Certificate Level 2 and the Level 3 Certificate are regulated NCFE CACHE qualifications, completed in England. Both need you to work or volunteer in a school or college (Level 3: at least 100 hours).
Counselling and mental health
The figure: NHS-funded psychological services in England had a vacancy rate of 7.4% in 2024, against 6.9% for the NHS as a whole. Psychological therapists, the group that includes counsellors, had one of the highest rates at 10.6% (outside NHS Talking Therapies). NHS Talking Therapies services had the most vacancies of any service area, at 1,013 full-time equivalent posts. Source: NHS England, Psychological Professions National Workforce Census (2024 census, published May 2025, England).
The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to grow this workforce by a further 24,000 to 26,000 full-time equivalent professionals by 2037, almost doubling it, according to the same census report.
How to train: Counselling Level 3 is an endorsed knowledge course and a good place to start. NHS and most paid counselling roles need further training with supervised client hours and membership of a professional body such as the BACP or NCPS.
Jobs of the future
When people talk about jobs of the future, they usually mean tech: data, AI, cyber security and software. Those roles are growing. But the future also needs people in jobs that technology can’t easily do, such as caring for older adults, teaching young children and supporting someone through a mental health crisis.
As AI takes on more desk-based, routine work, roles built on face-to-face care, trust and hands-on skill are harder to automate. They’re also the roles our population keeps needing more of. If you want a career that’s likely to last, these are good places to look. Our guide to future-proof jobs looks at eight of them in more detail.
How to train for an in-demand job
You don’t need to stop working to train for any of these roles. All the courses in this guide are studied online, so you can fit them around your job and family.
Most people start at Level 2 or Level 3. Level 2 is a good introduction, and Level 3 is the level many employers look for in experienced care, early years and teaching support staff. The care, early years and teaching assistant courses lead to regulated qualifications, listed on Ofqual’s register.
Before you enrol, check what practical experience you’ll need alongside your study:
| Course | Placement needed |
|---|---|
| Health and Social Care Diploma Level 3 | At least 50 hours in a care setting (England) |
| Early Years Educator Diploma Level 3 | At least 300 hours with children aged 0–5 (England) |
| Supporting Teaching and Learning Level 2 | Work or volunteer in a school or college (England) |
| Supporting Teaching and Learning Level 3 | At least 100 hours in a school or college (England) |
| Counselling Level 3 | None for the course; practising later needs supervised client hours |
Prices and payment options are on each course page.
FAQ
What jobs are in demand in the UK?
In care, education and wellbeing, the clearest shortages are in adult social care, early years and schools. Adult social care in England had around 96,000 vacant posts on any given day in 2025/26, according to Skills for Care.
What is the most in-demand job in the UK?
No single official list ranks every job. Among the sectors in this guide, adult social care has the largest number of vacancies, so care and support workers are among the most in-demand roles in England.
Which jobs will always be needed?
Jobs that look after people are likely to stay in demand: care workers, early years practitioners, teaching assistants and counsellors. They depend on face-to-face care and trust, which makes them harder to automate.
Not sure which route suits you? Talk to a course advisor: call 0333 344 2126 or email learn@associationoflearning.com.
Sources
- Skills for Care: The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England (June 2026, 2025/26 data, England)
- DfE: Pulse survey of early years and childcare providers 2025 (fieldwork Oct–Nov 2025, England)
- DfE: School workforce in England, reporting year 2025 (published 4 June 2026, November 2025 data, England)
- DfE: Expansion to early childcare entitlements, September 2025 (published 24 September 2025, England)
- NHS England: Psychological Professions National Workforce Census (May 2025, 2024 data, England)
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