The Government published the long awaited Immigration White Paper last Monday. The Prime Minister said the blueprint for future laws, would make the system, “controlled, selective and fair”. Here’s what the BCC’s Deputy Director Jane Gratton told journalists.
“Businesses are keen to unlock more home-grown talent and will welcome the broad direction of travel in today’s White Paper.
“A commitment to drive better strategic planning on immigration is a prize we have been chasing for years. More joined up planning and decision making between the Migration Advisory Committee, Skills England and government is needed. Only then will firms get access to the skills they need, where and when they need them.
“Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), mostly led by Chambers, are in a prime position to help with that strategic planning.
“However, it’s vital that the pace of change in the immigration system does not cut off access to global talent before the UK’s wider labour market problems are properly addressed.
“To grow the economy, firms need access to the right skills, and for some businesses that will include bringing people from outside the UK. This is usually as a last resort when they have tried all they can to recruit from the local labour market. Our surveys show only 13% of Chamber member businesses access the immigration system. When considering only SMEs, the figure falls to 9%.”
