In your corner: REC Campaigns and Policy news – 26 August 2021

In recent weeks we have all seen the turbulent developments unfold in Afghanistan.  If you’d like to find out what the REC is beginning to do to help please watch this message from Neil Carberry.  

Meanwhile in the UK, although rules vary slightly between each of the four nations, most people in the UK are getting back to ‘normal’, free of restrictions and social distancing. Over the past weeks, changes to self-isolation rules came into effect, meaning fully vaccinated adults, who aren’t displaying covid-19 symptoms, are spared from isolating if they are ‘pinged’ 

The pingdemic was just one of the challenges exacerbating the cross-sectoral skills and labour shortages. To help address this, the REC is leading a campaign on labour shortages, taking the concerns of our members to key policy makers. We want to share industry expertise and work with the government to find a solution to this long-standing issue. But that means, we need to hear from you. Your first-hand experience will help us develop our case to the government. So if you haven’t already done so, please take 10 minutes to complete our survey.  

Digital Right To Work (RTW) Campaign 
Following the efforts of the REC and others, the Home Office has announced that the end of the adjusted RTW checks will be delayed once again until 5 April 2022. These checks were introduced originally in March 2020 as a response to the pandemic, and were due to end on 31 August 2021. Employers will be able to continue to do adjusted checks for all candidates until 5 April, but from 6 April will need to revert to checks in line with the Home Office's standard guidance. Additional information on the delay has been published by the Home Office. The decision to delay was influenced strongly by the REC’s letter on 25 August which made it clear that returning to face-to-face checks now would exacerbate the ongoing worker shortage in the UK labour market. 

Meeting with Bambos Charalambous MP, Shadow Immigration Minister 
This week, Luiza Gomes, REC Campaigns Advisor, attended a meeting with Shadow Immigration Minister, Bambos Charalambous MP, to discuss issues around the new immigration system, EU settlement scheme and labour shortages. She had the opportunity to raise concerns about  sectors such as logistics and construction and highlighted how the new system is failing them and recruitment agencies more generally. The Shadow Minister was keen to hear more about the recruitment industry, so the REC committed to sending a letter with our latest research and data about the jobs market. We will also provide some parliamentary questions for him to table on our behalf.  

REC Roundtable on Skills bootcamps 
Earlier this week, the REC hosted a roundtable with the Department for Education (DfE) on their newly introduced skills bootcamps scheme. This was an opportunity for the DfE and REC members to discuss ways in which the recruitment industry can support the Skills Bootcamps programme to help move graduates from the bootcamps into local jobs at the end of their courses. The DfE has provided a list of active training providers which they are happy for recruiters to reach out to in order to form partnerships on getting the newly trained candidates into work.  

REC and Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) meeting 
Last week, Neil Carberry had a really positive meeting with Elysia McCaffery, the newly appointed CEO of the GLAA who is keen to work closely with us. The REC and GLAA have worked together in the past to ensure compliance standards are upheld in the gangmasters sector and are keen to continue this relationship. Together we can work on protecting and enhancing the effectiveness of what the GLAA does for workers, and to make sure the new SEB improves things further.  

New Special Advisers at DHSC 
Since his appointment in June, Health Secretary, Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP has appointed two new special advisers (SpAds), Adam Memon and Samuel Coates. Adam joined the team in August while Samuel Coates has been Chief of Staff to Javid since June. Both Adam and Samuel are trusted advisers to Javid and have worked with him as SpADs in other departments previously. The REC has engaged with both Adam and Samuel, sharing a briefing about the contribution our healthcare members have made to the NHS and requesting a meeting. 

Consultation  
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently seeking views on how the welfare system can better support people with disabilities so they can live and work independently. The DWP is keen to hear from recruitment businesses on how the department can improve employment support for disabled people. The consultation closes on 11 October. You can submit your views here or contact patrick.milnes@rec.uk.com 

Research Corner 
The REC’S latest JobsOutlook showed that in the three months to July, employers’ confidence in their ability to hire new staff and make investment decisions remained high at net: +29. The survey also found that employers’ intentions to hire new permanent and temporary staff remained stable, signalling that demand for workers will remain high into the autumn as businesses recover from the effects of the pandemic and deliver on new business plans.  

Next week we are also publishing Jobs Recovery Tracker, so keep an eye out for the latest insight on job adverts trend across the UK. 

Media Corner 
Your REC campaigns team works hard to highlight the issues that matter to you in the press as well as with government. The REC secured almost 3,500 pieces of media coverage in the first half of 2021, and we continue to campaign on issues like right to work checks and labour shortages.