The UK government may be committing to tackle skills shortages in engineering and technology by building up and training home-grown engineers and technicians — but this should not come at the cost of limiting the number of high-skilled overseas recruits into the engineering and technology sector (“Cooper signals move to curb overseas hiring for engineering and tech jobs”, Report, August 12).
The independent Migration Advisory Committee’s review will be critical in understanding the issues employers face in attracting and retaining engineers and technicians in the sector. It’s therefore vital for companies to fully contribute to this review and have a voice before decisions are finalised.
We know the sector is already facing issues with recruiting for graduate positions and this includes overseas candidates. The current skilled workers visa threshold of £38,700 has priced many employers out of the international graduate recruitment market.
We need to see a dual approach of building a resilient domestic pipeline of engineers and technologists — starting in schools, and looking at upskilling and reskilling throughout people’s careers — while continuing to attract the best talent from around the world.
We cannot effectively tackle the skills shortage in key industries if we are limiting opportunities for growth and failing to attract a diverse pool of engineers and technicians into the sector.
Stephanie Baxter
Head of Policy, Institution of Engineering and Technology
Hitchin, Hertfordshire, UK
