UK Government Shifts Focus to Local Worker Training to Curb Immigration

Strategic Insights -

The British government is undergoing a significant shift in its immigration policy, focusing on increasing training for local workers to reduce the need for skilled foreign labor. In a move to restrict skilled worker visas, the government will only grant such visas to individuals in graduate-level jobs, while lower-skilled roles will be addressed through the nation's industrial strategy. This policy change, set to be outlined in a white paper on May 12, aims to reduce the number of low-skilled worker visas by up to 50,000 this year, amidst mounting pressure to slash net migration.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UK government will restrict skilled worker visas to graduate-level jobs, while lower-skilled roles will be addressed through the nation's industrial strategy.
  • The policy change aims to reduce the number of low-skilled worker visas by up to 50,000 this year.
  • Companies in the care sector will be barred from recruiting workers abroad.
  • The changes are part of a broader effort to reduce net migration, which rose to an all-time high of 906,000 people in June 2023.
  • Roles such as carpenters, graphic designers, and pharmaceutical technicians are deemed to be in short supply in the UK, placing them on the Immigration Salary List (ISL) to allow employers to bring in international workers at a discounted rate.
  • British employers are concerned about filling shortages in the jobs market as a result of cutting down the influx of foreign workers.
  • The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) acknowledges that immigration can be an important way to fill skill shortages, but also emphasizes the need for domestic routes to address the issue.

Statistics:

  • Net migration to the UK rose to an all-time high of 906,000 people in June 2023, up from 728,000 in the previous year.
  • The UK government plans to cap the influx of overseas care workers to reduce the number of low-skilled worker visas by up to 50,000 this year.
  • The number of low-skilled worker visas could be reduced by up to 50,000 this year, following the changes outlined in the government's new policy.

Sources:

  • Reuters report, May 11
  • Labour government statement, May 11
  • Interior Minister Yvette Cooper statement, May 11
  • CBI Director General Rain Newton-Smith statement, quoted in The Times, earlier this month