In the UK, industries such as technology, banking, and medical could experience a scarcity of highly qualified personnel.
The UK is one of the top five nations experiencing a severe talent shortage, along with New Zealand, Portugal, Canada, and Switzerland, according to a research released by the recruitment business Hays.
According to the report, the UK must solve its skills shortages immediately or face slipping behind its overseas counterparts.
“To ensure the UK can continue to compete on the global stage, it needs a steady supply of talent with the right skills,” said Nigel Kirkham, the chief executive of enterprise solutions at Hays.
It’s speculated that Brexit could have impacted the number of skilled workers in the UK, making it harder for skilled workers to come from Europe.
It’s not impossible to recruit from abroad, thanks to the Skilled Worker Visa. Here’s a closer look at what the skilled worker visa is.
A Skilled Worker Visa was introduced in 2020, allowing employers to recruit skilled workers from outside the UK to fill vacancies and also allowing migrants to bring their families to the UK.
Jobs on the Skilled Worker Visa list require 80 per cent of the route’s usual minimum rate to qualify for a Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa, based on a 37.5-hour working week.
The UK Shortage Occupation List (SOL) is a list of occupations in the UK that are deemed to be in short supply.
The list is part of the UK Immigration Rules and is used to make it easier for employers to sponsor skilled non-UK workers under the Skilled Worker visa.
There are specific jobs within several sectors, as listed below.
Health services and public health managers and directors
Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors
Senior care workers
Chemical scientists in the nuclear industry
Biological scientists and biochemists
Physical scientists in the construction-related ground engineering industry, limited to engineering geologist, hydrogeologist, and geophysicist
Physical scientists in the oil and gas industry, with some specific limitations
Civil engineers
Mechanical engineers
Electrical engineers
Electronics engineers
Design and development engineers
Production and process engineers
Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified
Quality control and planning engineers
Bricklayers and masons
Roofers, roof tilers and slaters
Carpenters and joiners
Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified
Plasterers (including dryliners)
IT
IT business analysts, architects and systems designers
Programmers and software development professionals
Web design and development professionals
Information technology and communications professionals not elsewhere classified, limited to cyber security specialists
Agriculture and fishing trades not elsewhere classified
Deckhands on large fishing vessels (nine metres and above) where the job requires the worker to have at least 3 years’ full-time experience in using their skills
Veterinarians
Actuaries, economists and statisticians, limited to
Bio-informaticians
Informaticians
Architects
Laboratory technicians
Welding trades – only high integrity pipe welders, where the job requires three or more years’ related on-the-job experience
Artists
Dancers and choreographers
Some musicians
Arts officers, producers and directors
Graphic designers
Medical practitioners
Psychologists
Pharmacists
Medical radiographers – including radiotherapy practitioners/ technologists)
Health professionals not elsewhere classified
Nurses
Paramedics
Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
Physiotherapists
Occupational therapists
Speech and language therapists
Secondary education teaching professionals – only teachers in maths, physics, science (where an element of physics will be taught), computer science and modern foreign languages
Secondary education teaching professionals – only teachers in Gaelic
Primary and nursery education teaching professionals – only Gaelic medium teachers
Social workers
While immigration and Brexit are thought to be playing a role in the skilled worker shortage, the high cost of living in the UK is also thought to play a role.
Many people cannot afford to pay for education or training, or take roles with low or no pay, as they would need to learn many skilled worker roles.
What’s more, the UK has an aging population, with 19.17 per cent of the UK population aged over 65 years old as of 2022. That means nearly a fifth of the UK’s population is of retirement age, also representing a diminished workforce.