The contract market within the engineering market has been notoriously lucrative in former years. Contractors, while forfeiting their right to benefits like company cars, pensions and healthcare, earned considerably higher rates than their permanent counterparts and the flexibility from the labour market that they facilitated was welcomed by hiring managers.

Contractors were appointed for a project until their skills were no longer required and released with a typical notice period of just a week – when the contractor could look towards their next role or take the family away over the school summer holidays! More >