Ensuring skilled employees from overseas are able to take up jobs in Britain through a UK Tier 2 work permit could help the country’s economic growth.
Gillian Econopouly, head of public policy with the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, recently met with UK immigration minister Damian Green.
During the roundtable meeting with the minister in Westminster, which was hosted by think tank ResPublic, Ms Econopouly drew Mr Green’s attention to the need for an immigration system that can help employers to access the skills necessary for business growth.
She remarked: “This morning's meeting was an excellent opportunity to remind the Minister of the impact of the new immigration cap on the recruitment industry and crucially, their clients in securing the specialised skills they require.
“Often, the ability to bring in a few highly skilled individuals can create significant growth, including new jobs for resident workers right down the supply chain.”
The recruitment professional added that the REC will continue to push for flexibility within the UK immigration system to allow businesses to access the skills they need. Facilitating access to Tier 2 work permits for those who need them is one way of improving access to overseas talent.
Accessing foreign talent could be especially important since the UK appears to be struggling to meet the current levels of demand for skilled workers.
Indeed, research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development recently revealed that 52 per cent of employers have seen an increase in the competition for top talent. A total of 41 per cent of firms held this view last year, while in 2009, just 20 per cent of companies felt that competition for talent was on the rise.