MAC Recommendations Will Only Exacerbate Skills Shortage Crisis – REC

 

Commenting on the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) recommendations to government regarding the Tier 2 visa route, published this morning, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Director of Policy, Tom Hadley says:

“The suggested raise in the minimum salary threshold to £30,000 will only exacerbate the skills shortage crisis. By limiting access to workers at a time of record employment in the UK, the government would make it more difficult for businesses to grow and keep ahead of foreign competitors, and our hospitals and schools would come under more pressure to maintain staffing levels. The MAC has admitted in their report that the professions most likely to be affected are nurses and school teachers.

“The MAC is suggesting that raising the cost of recruiting a Tier 2 migrant will reduce demand for candidates. We completely disagree with this. A huge range of industries have conducted research into the lack of available candidates with the necessary skillset and there is absolute consensus that the UK is suffering skills shortages in a vast range of sectors. The demand for candidates from outside the EEA will only increase over the coming years.

“However, there are some positives in today’s report – particularly with regards to ensuring that shortage occupations do not have an arbitrary time limit placed on them.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. The Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) report Review of Tier 2: balancing migrant selectivity, investment in skills and impacts on UK productivity and competitiveness is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493039/Tier_2_Report_Review_Version_for_Publishing_FINAL.pdf    

An executive summary of the report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/493038/Executive_Summary-Tier_2_FINAL.pdf