Scotland’s largest trade association, SELECT, has warned that the UK Government’s new immigration proposals could cause an exodus of industry professionals to England and leave the sector with a skills gap.
SELECT says the proposals to raise the qualification standards for foreign workers is likely to see a significant number abandoning the UK and returning home, with Scottish construction workers flooding south to fill the resulting shortage south of the border.
SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson raised the concerns with First Minister John Swinney during a meeting of Scottish business leaders last week, during which he relayed apprehensions from across the construction sector.
Alan says, “Raising the thresholds for skilled workers may seem on the face of it to be a laudable aim, but it is likely to be detrimental to recruitment in the major UK population areas and that means workers will be sucked in from places like Scotland. In areas such as London, it’s estimated that 50% of the workforce are from abroad, so if they leave, Scottish workers are likely to flood south to take up highly-paid jobs, leaving the domestic construction sector in crisis.
“This could leave Scotland bereft of skills, with no opportunity to top up from abroad, and could lead to the worst of all possible worlds just as we need these skills to fulfil our transition to a net zero economy. This ticking time bomb could leave Scotland without enough skilled workers to build the country we need, which is why we had to bring it to the attention of government at the highest level.”
The UK Government published its white paper policy document, Restoring control over the immigration system, on 12 May, proposing changes to make it harder to move to and settle in the UK, with a view to reducing immigration.
Under the proposals, Labour is proposing to raise the threshold for skilled workers from Regulated Qualifications Framework 3 (RQF3) – equivalent to Scottish Highers – to RQF6, which is degree level.
Alan’s warning comes after a new report by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce shows the UK is losing the skills and supply chain needed to deliver net zero, with a growing share of energy sector jobs, investment, and innovation shifting abroad.
The 41st Energy Transition Survey of more than 100 firms shows that two-thirds expect to increase their headcount overseas in the next five years, with almost half saying staff were already leaving the UK to work in other energy regions.
Alan – who chairs the Construction Industry Collective Voice – also pointed out that architecture schools in Scotland, who often rely on fees from abroad, may have to shut down if students choose not to study there as a result of post-qualification uncertainty.
He adds, “The uncertainty the proposals contain will be particularly acute for both graduate visa holders completing their training and employers, who may see no reward in investing in graduates from abroad qualifying in Scotland.
“Similarly, students may not choose to study architecture in Scotland because of the uncertainties [surrounding] post-qualification employment. This could have significant knock-on effects for architecture schools who rely on foreign students fees to make the courses viable.
“The worst-case scenario is due to an absence of fees from abroad we can’t sustain our own architecture schools, nor have options to attract [and] retain talent from abroad.”
For more from SELECT, click here.