As OQC’s Talent Acquisition Associate, I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Bristol to attend Bristol University’s annual ‘Careers in Quantum’ event organised and hosted by Cohort 8 of Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training. This was my first experience of representing OQC at this kind of event and the experience did not disappoint.

The event brought together academia and industry professionals to engage with students from undergraduate through to post doctoral researchers to explore the wide variety of careers available in the growing quantum industry. This was a valuable chance to showcase the possibilities of a careers in quantum, particularly as recent research by McKinsey & Company revealed the talent gap in quantum technologies narrowed in 2022, with the analysis showing that nearly two-thirds of open jobs in the industry (450 out of 717) could be filled with new master’s-level graduates in quantum technologies.

The organisation of the event was fantastic: with a core focus of a careers fairs alongside a breakout room for more in-depth discussion and panels, attendees were able to immerse themselves in the world of quantum technology. The range of companies represented and the turnout of students attending from all over the country helped to create a fantastic atmosphere with companies and students clearly working together towards a common goal of education in quantum technology.

Growing quantum capabilities 

As the Quantum sector expands, it is important that we engage with people early in their career and in education to ensure that they are aware of the opportunities in quantum and the skills which will put them in the best position to secure roles in the future. Especially as the demand for quantum computing skills are anticipated to significantly increase as research by MarketsandMarkets suggests the quantum computing market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 30% between 2020 and 2026.

I really enjoyed the conversations with young, enthusiastic physicists, engineers and mathematicians, all keen to be a part of this groundbreaking sector. It was especially great to see how many were already aware of OQC and keen to hear more about what we are doing and how they can be a part of our future. Hopefully some of those conversations will lead to long lasting working relationships with OQC in the future.

If you are interested in a career quantum you can check out our careers page or email careers@oqc.tech