Government and campaigns
The campaigns team recently responded to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)’s review of the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). Although the Government and Opposition have listened to the REC’s call to review this list more regularly in future, this was the first opportunity since 2019 to reflect member feedback and put forward our case for making the skilled worker visa more accessible for more occupations.
After hosting a member roundtable, speaking to other trade bodies, and harnessing REC data, we recommended that 10 occupations across three sectors be added to the SOL.
Shortages in this sector have been well demonstrated in the last few years with empty shelves at supermarkets and inflated food prices. In 2021, the Government announced a short-term visa scheme to quickly mobilise international drivers, but this was such a short-sighted policy, success was incredibly limited. Instead having occupations such as forklift truck drivers, warehouse operatives and large goods vehicle (LGV) drivers to the SOL would provide a longer-term solution.
We also know that while there has been an increase in newly qualified LGV Drivers, other roles in logistics have experienced a knock-on effect as a result of the push to qualify LGV Drivers since 2021. This, alongside licensing and training requirements, has meant the Warehousing sector in particular has struggled to keep up with demand.
Historically, the hospitality sector has not been an active user of sponsored visas. At the same time, the sector was heavily reliant on EU workers for many years until Brexit. There is little doubt that the hospitality sector is one of the hardest hit by Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic and has struggled to fill vacancies for waiters, waitresses, chefs, cooks, bar and restaurant managers. In our submission, we highlighted the effect shortages in this sector have, particularly on local communities and economies.
We welcome the MAC’s decision to include the five construction occupations - bricklayers and masons, roofers, roof tilers and slaters, carpenters and joiners, plasterers, and construction and building trades onto the interim SOL and we support those remaining on the main review, as set out in our submission. The UK is likely to need an extra 225,000 construction workers by 2027, so opening up routes for migrant workers for roles such as roofers, roof tilers, slaters, and electric vehicle technicians would certainly help. This is also going to become increasingly important in emerging sectors, like green. Work on retrofitting buildings will increase in line with global government led commitments around net zero.
The REC recognises the importance of building a UK domestic workforce to tackle labour and skills shortages. However, the reality is that we simply don’t have enough workers in the UK workforce at present. So, while we build that capacity, we need talented overseas workers to help us tackle shortages, and boost growth. The SOL is an effective tool for that.
As well as the SOL, we also need to tackle the fundamental issues within the immigration system, such as extending the length of work visas, from two or three years to five years, or allowing skilled asylum seekers to work after six months, rather than the current 12. As advocated in our Overcoming Shortages Report, we need an industrial strategy that connects our skills system to immigration – enabling the system to effectively respond to labour market demand and giving employers access to the labour needed. We will continue to monitor developments with the SOL and keep our members informed.
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