THE UK Government’s proposals to raise the qualification standards for foreign workers have been described as a ‘ticking time bomb’ for the Scottish construction industry.
SELECT said the plans are likely to see a ‘significant’ number of workers abandoning the UK and returning home, with Scottish construction workers flooding south to fill the resulting shortage south of the border.
The trade body for the electrotechnical sector also echoed a new report by insisting that leaving the country ‘bereft of skills’ would also impact Scotland’s transition to net zero, with fewer qualified professionals left to install and maintain renewable technology.
SELECT MD Alan Wilson raised the concerns with First Minister John Swinney during a meeting of Scottish business leaders last week. He said, “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 and settle in the UK. 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.
Mr Wilson explained that many existing qualified tradespeople will be outwith the new threshold and insists the move will also be detrimental to recruitment, with firms less willing to recruit apprentices.
He added, “We are facing a crisis in recruitment in almost all trades which will not be helped by the uncertainty caused by these proposals. The construction sector is a vital pillar of the Scottish economy, supporting infrastructure development, housing delivery and the green transition, yet it is experiencing a persistent and growing skills shortage already.
“According to the Construction Industry Training Board, an additional 26,100 workers will be needed across Scotland between 2024 and 2028 to meet demand, yet apprenticeship starts across construction have remained flat, with only around 6,500 new entrants per year.”
