Tirana – | 16 March 2023 (Global Pro Group) – The British government has made updates to its shortage occupation list, potentially making it easier for overseas bricklayers and carpenters to obtain work visas. The list identifies occupations that employers are struggling to fill and now includes roofers and plasterers as well. However, the hospitality sector, despite facing recruitment challenges, was not included in the list.
The addition of construction workers to the shortage occupation list is not expected to have a significant impact on overall migration numbers. The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which advises the government, assessed 26 occupations in construction and hospitality and recommended five for inclusion on the shortage occupations list. However, the committee did not recommend any hospitality occupations for inclusion, noting that both Brexit and the pandemic had a significant impact on these sectors.
The five approved occupations by the committee are bricklayers and masons, roofers, roof tilers, and slaters, carpenters and joiners, construction and building trades (not elsewhere classified), and plasterers. Individuals on the shortage occupation list can apply for skilled worker visas to work in the UK.
According to the construction and hospitality shortage review, published alongside the Budget, vacancies have significantly increased in both sectors compared to pre-pandemic levels. From November 2022 to January 2023, vacancies in hospitality rose by 72%, while in construction, they increased by 65%. In contrast, the overall economy saw a 42% increase in vacancies.
The committee based its review on whether an occupation accounted for more than 0.5% of the sector’s workforce and earned below the current general threshold for migrants, which is £26,200. It also considered the strategic importance of construction for the UK economy and predicted a substantial increase in demand for construction workers in the coming decade.
Regarding the hospitality sector, the committee noted that overall employment had recovered and exceeded pre-pandemic levels. However, it did not recommend any hospitality occupations for the shortage occupation list, including chefs, restaurant managers, or bar managers. The committee stated that the government required exceptionally strong evidence to support such recommendations, and the evidence submitted did not meet that threshold.
In October, Home Secretary Suella Braverman expressed her goal of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands. Global Pro Group salutes the latest decision of the British authorities.
Source: Home Office Construction and Hospitality Shortage Review
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