Campaigns Roundup

MPs are back from Easter recess but with May Day, the King’s Coronation, and Whitsun recess all coming up in May, the Commons is only sitting for 13 of the 31 days in May. That said, we’re expecting the NHS long-term workforce plan “imminently”, the government’s response to last year’s Umbrella Company call for evidence is expected “soon”, and the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill should have already had its Report Stage reading in the Lords – so as the PM marks his six month anniversary in the post, there’s still plenty for him to be getting on with…and I haven’t even mentioned local elections yet! 

While we might take a short pause to break out the bunting in May, the REC remains focused on delivering for our members! Here’s a roundup of campaigns activity in the last couple of weeks.

Member roundtable on the SOL review

In light of the Migration Advisory Committee’s Call for Evidence into the review of the shortage occupation list (SOL), the REC is inviting members from retail, hospitality, construction, driving and logistics to a virtual roundtable taking place on 27 April 2023. At the meeting, we will discuss how we can demonstrate the shortages in each sector as well as recruitment and training effort that each sector has made to attract domestic workers to fill vacancies. This conversation will help the REC shape our argument for a flexible immigration system for growth. If you work in these sectors and would like to get involved, please contact Yerin via Yerin.seo@rec.uk.com

Get involved in surveys for social work agencies and agency social workers

In addition to the Department for Education (DfE)’s consultation into agency social workers, there are two surveys designed for agencies and workers in children’s social care. The REC has launched a survey with workers as our audience, seeking their views on the proposals. Please share this survey with your social workers, as this will help the REC demonstrate the value of our members to the DfE. The deadline to respond is 28 April 2023.

This DfE-drafted survey is designed for agencies providing social workers in England which will complement the consultation. The REC encourages all social work members to participate and help DfE gather data. Lastly, don’t forget to share your views through the official consultation.

Healthcare sector group meeting 

After three years, the REC’s healthcare sector group will meet in person on Tuesday 2 May 2023. We will welcome several external guests including  Social Work England. We will also have a discussion around the sector’s image with the REC’s Communications team. Secure your spot here.

Exploring Tools for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Last week the REC attended a workshop hosted by the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) to discuss impact assessments for using AI in the recruitment sector. Making sure AI is trustworthy and ethical is of huge importance to its use in the recruitment sector and it was great to feed into the discussion on behalf of the sector. Balancing the business and commercial needs of the industry with safe and effective AI assurance frameworks will be crucial to move forward on this. This workshop provided the opportunity to engage directly with two of the leading organisations in this space; the Ada Lovelace Institute and Credo AI on this. 

Department for Business and Trade seeks views on the impacts and use of AI

The Department for Business and Trade is keen to hear from members about the impact and use of AI on business. In particular, they are seeking views on:

• How do recruitment businesses look to use AI in the next 1 – 2 years to change their practices?
• How do recruitment businesses think AI will change their overall operating environment?
• What concerns do you have around using AI? Do you foresee any challenges in adopting this technology?

If you have views you’d like to share, please email Sam at sam.beggs@rec.uk.com by 3 May 2023.

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) Consultation

In the Spring Budget, the government announced a review of LEP funding. The Department for Education (DfE) is seeking views from stakeholders involved with their LEPs – based on the evidence they receive; they will then decide whether funding can be absorbed by local councils. The government is specifically looking for respondents to specify what value LEPs bring as well as evidence to support this. The deadline for submissions is 19 May 2023. You can find further details on the consultation here.

Research Corner

The REC’s latest Report on Jobs pointed to a further fall in permanent placement in March 2023, but the pace of reduction was the weakest seen over this period and only marginal. Nevertheless, temp billings increased to a six-month high. Candidate availability for both perm and temp staff rose for the first time in over two years, but vacancies for perm roles continued to rise at a quicker rate than that seen for temp roles.

Look out for our upcoming Labour Market Tracker, which will be published next Friday.

Media round up

REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry gave his assessment of the ONS labour market statistics to BBC TV News, explaining that the jobs market remains buoyant with activity levels well ahead of pre-pandemic, even if things are not as fizzy as they were in 2022.

Neil provided insight to the Financial Times’ story about why UK lags behind the rest of the developed world in ensuring compliance with regulations. Neil explained that REC members suffer margin compression and lost business because of an underbelly of rule-breaking competitors.

Other highlights were REC’s Deputy Chief Executive Kate Shoesmith telling HSJ that staffing agencies that adhere to NHS England’s national price caps framework are being pushed out of the market due to a lack of flexibility.