After the outbreak of the pandemic and Brexit instability, the UK is experiencing a shortage of skilled employees in various sectors. Businesses hit by labor shortages have urged the UK Government to relax immigration policies to help fill roles.
The UK has experienced a significant shortage of skills in many technical jobs, such as electricians, and plumbers. Information technology and healthcare industry and the education sector are also short of skills.
According to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), three-quarters of businesses said they have experienced a labour shortage in UK and difficulties filling vacancies.
UK Skills Shortage Sectors
The UK government has identified a list of job occupations that are not enough in the local labor market. Currently, there are job openings in the majority of sectors such as healthcare, educational sector, arts, science, and the field of IT.
- According to the ONS data, Health and social care remain the worst-hit sector when it comes to vacancies. The education and construction sectors posted the biggest increase in the number of vacancies between August and October 2022.
- There were around 125,000 open positions in the white-collar professional, scientific, and technical activities sector.
- The accommodation and food services sector remains stricken with labor shortages, with 152,000 vacancies in the same period.
The Home Office has also expanded the shortage occupation list and has included more occupations that fall under the healthcare and education category, including
- Health services and public health managers and directors
- Pharmacists
- Physiotherapists
- Residential, day, and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
- Health professionals not elsewhere classified
- Senior care workers
- Laboratory technicians
- Nursing auxiliaries
How to Hire Overseas Skilled Workers?
Many companies are employing foreign workers in UK after brexit. Foreign workers require a skilled worker visa for the positions such as teaching assistants, gardeners, chefs, shopkeepers, ticket inspectors, estate brokers, and shopkeepers.
The UK government has some regulations when it comes to hiring employees from overseas, including those from the EU and EEA. An employer based in the UK requires a sponsor license from UK Visas and Immigration before they can hire workers from overseas. A sponsor license is a broad authorization from the UK Home Office. It enables UK-based businesses to provide Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to workers who need them for their Skilled Worker visa applications.
Skilled work visa
Once the employer has secured a sponsor license for their overseas candidate, the candidate who is offered a job by the employer must have to apply for a work visa (e.g. UK Skilled Worker visa) to get entry and remain in the UK. With this visa, the individual can stay and work in the UK for up to five years before having to renew it. If they have completed five years in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa, they have to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
In order to successfully secure permission to come and stay in the UK, Work visa applicants must score enough points under the UK point-based system (PBS)
The mandatory requirements are:
- A job offer by an approved sponsor (20 points)
- The job is at an appropriate skill level (20 points)
- They are able to communicate in English at the required level (10 points)
- They can make up the remaining 20 points by earning a salary at the “going rate” for their occupation, having a job on the shortage list, or by holding a Ph.D. in a subject relevant to their job or in a STEM subject.
Health and Care Worker visa
Healthcare workers have to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa. The route is the same as the Skilled Worker visa, but the education requirements and application fees are lower. Holders do not need to pay the annual health surcharge of £624 per year per person.
This route also requires a job offer from an approved sponsor. It also has the same mandatory requirements as the Skilled Worker visa.
How to Hire a Foreign Worker without a Sponsor License?
There are various schemes such as high potential individual visas, youth mobility schemes, and graduate visa schemes, if you want to hire a foreign worker without a sponsor license. However, these are limited to 2 years and cannot be further extended.
If you want to hire an overseas national on one of these visas, they will need to switch to a sponsored work visa if they want to work and stay for a long time before their visa expires.
How can Global Al-Saqib Recruitment Agency help in Recruiting?
Global Al-Saqib recruitment agency is a leading UK recruitment agency. We have a team of passionate, committed professionals who work closely with you to comprehend your needs, preferences, and requirements for hiring in the UK
We partner with domestic and international businesses and make the process of bringing overseas workers to the UK, whether on a short, long-term, or permanent basis, as seamless as possible. Our recruitment specialists will help you in:
- Recruit from all over the world and get the best talent for your project
- Make sure you’re receiving the highest quality candidates for your project
- We make sure all of the processes are quick and effective so you can return to concentrating on your company
