Being acutely aware of members’ concerns over the skills shortage within the highways management and maintenance industry HTMA, in partnership with eight other construction sector trade bodies, has presented new research to government outlining the scale of the problem and the need for a flexible approach to skills development and migration in a post Brexit Britain.

It is generally believed that ten percent of the construction industry is made up from migrant workers and some have estimated that within the M25 corridor, the percentage of non-UK, EU persons within the highways workforce could be as high as 80 percent.

A new post-Brexit, single immigration system is being proposed by the government for EU and non-EU citizens alike and has been designed based on skills and talent.  The government’s White Paper on a future skills-based immigration system (published on 19 December 2018) has taken on board several recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), some of which could create significant restrictions on employing low-skilled migrant workers.

“Following the advice of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), we will prioritise skilled migrants. A skilled-based migration policy will ensure the UK remains a hub for international talent from the EU and the rest of the world, which attracts people to work in our vibrant and diverse communities in jobs that drive up productivity and wages, and will deliver essential services.
The new skilled route will include workers with intermediate level skills, at RQF 3-5 level (A level or equivalent) as well as graduate and post-graduate, as the MAC recommended. The MAC recommended retaining the minimum salary threshold at £30,000”

In response to concerns that were raised by several sectors, the MAC were asked to review the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) that had been compiled.  They issued a call for evidence from several sectors, to gain greater clarity from businesses as to which occupations need to be included on the list. 

Taking advantage of the opportunity to influence decisions being made on the post-Brexit immigration system, HTMA and eight other organisations representing the construction industry, requested their members to provide evidence and input into a survey by identifying: which occupations they currently experienced some difficulties recruiting, and those they experienced severe difficulties recruiting.
The survey also asked for what businesses were anticipating with regards to recruitment for specific roles, after the UK has left the EU.

The results of the survey will be given to the MAC to inform their discussions, and have been published in a report which also offers nine recommendations that the participating trade organisations support.  (download a copy)  The report includes a table highlighting those roles which the survey identified as high priorities and crossed referenced them with the criteria that is being proposed with the new single immigration system. 
For those businesses in the highways industry, according to the results they should anticipate their greatest challenges being with recruiting general labourers and plant & machine operatives, as these roles feature on the priority list but will not meet the new criteria. 

Four of the nine recommendations listed are:

1. Industry to work with UK Government and other stakeholders to ensure that there are pathways for UK workers to fill the shortage roles and to match supply against demand for employment to avoid wage inflation and unnecessary cost
2. Industry to work with Migration Advisory Committee and UK Government to arrange roundtable employer discussions to provide further insight.
3. UK Government to maintain commitment to long term pipeline of construction and infrastructure investment give companies the confidence to invest and to attract, develop and retain UK workers for shortage occupations.
4. UK Government to provide consistent policy environment in relation to apprenticeships, to ensure businesses can train and develop their staff through their career with confidence the policy environment won’t change.

The recent White Paper quotes:

“The proposed new route will include a number of significant reforms aimed at ensuring that our immigration system supports a flexible labour market, and that overall the burden on businesses is no greater under a single system which includes EU migrants.”

Time is definitely against the industry as it waits for the final decisions on the new migration system.  It would seem that the best way forward is for the recommendations on close collaboration between government and industry to be heeded and followed through, in order to achieve ‘right first time’ results.