The county’s top sectors and locations for job opportunities have been revealed in a new Evidence Base report, released by the Essex Employment and Skills Board (ESB).

The IT, digital and creative sector, with more than 17,000 vacancies, saw the highest number of job postings across Essex in 2015, closely followed by manufacturing and engineering, with more than 13,000.

The top three locations in Essex for job vacancies in 2015 were Chelmsford, Colchester and Basildon.

The Evidence Base, now in its third year, includes both vacancy data and skills information and sector-specific headlines, all drawn from published statistics and local employer feedback.

The report has proved a powerful tool to inform local businesses, training providers and academic institutions on employment needs. The Evidence Base covers Essex, Southend and Thurrock, and outlines the top specialist and soft skills currently in demand.

ESB Chairman Suzanne Jude, of Raytheon UK, said: “Our Evidence

Base portrays a detailed and holistic picture of local skills needs. It has been really well received, with schools, colleges, universities, businesses, partners and providers all commenting that this information is much needed and well utilised. We have even been approached by a number of organisations outside of Greater Essex, seeing this as a best practice model.”

Member of the ESB board Angela O’Donoghue, principal and chief executive of South Essex College and member of the Federation of Essex Colleges (FEDEC) said: “Many Essex colleges have used the Evidence Base to support successful bids to the Local Enterprise Partnership for new equipment, to enable curriculum growth and development focused on employers’ needs..”